Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure for the Brazilian context

Abstract Introduction The Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM) was developed to measure individual differences in social comparison orientation and has been widely used in research and various different settings. Objectives The aim of this study was to adapt the online version of the INCOM and to evaluate its psychometric parameters when applied to a Brazilian population of university students. Methods The procedures were divided into two steps: step 1 - cross-cultural adaptation and analysis of content validity, and step 2 - assessment of psychometric characteristics. Step 1 comprised the processes of translation, evaluation by an expert committee, evaluation by the target population, and back-translation. For step 2, 1,065 university students were recruited and then factor analysis, analysis of reliability, and analysis of validity based on external measures were performed. Results The adaptation process yielded satisfactory results, including good indicators of content validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-dimensional structure and adequate factor loadings, except for item 11, which was excluded from the final version. Additionally, the final version of the scale had adequate fit indices (χ2 = 148.45, degrees of freedom [df] = 26; p < 0.001; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.06; comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.99; and Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.98). Evidence of reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83) was observed and there were positive correlations with negative affect (r = 0.36) and negative correlations with positive affect and self-esteem (r = -0.15; r = -0.41, respectively). Conclusion The Brazilian version of the INCOM presents satisfactory psychometric parameters and can thus be used to measure social comparison orientation.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure for the Brazilian context.

INTRODUCTION: The Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM) was developed to measure individual differences in social comparison orientation and has been widely used in research and different contexts. The aim of this study was to adapt the online version of the INCOM and to evaluate its psychometric parameters when applied to a Brazilian population of university students. METHODS: The procedures were divided into two steps: step 1 - cross-cultural adaptation and content validity, and step 2 - assessment of psychometric characteristics. In step 1, the processes of translation, evaluation by expert committee, evaluation by the target population, and the back-translation, were performed. In step 2, 1065 university students participated and factor analysis, analysis of reliability and validity based on external measures were performed. RESULTS: The adaptation process showed satisfactory results, such as good indicators of content validity. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-dimensional structure and adequate factor loadings, except for item 11, which was excluded from the final version. Also, the final version of the scale presented adequate fit indices (χ2 = 148.45, df = 26; p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.98). Evidence of reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83) was found, in addition to positive correlations with negative affect (r =0.36) and negative correlations with positive affect and self-esteem (r = -0.15; r = -0.41, respectively). CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the INCOM presents satisfactory psychometric parameters and can thus be used to measure social comparison orientation.

Desempenho de pastagem nativa e pastagem sobre-semeada com forrageiras hibernais com e sem glifosato / Performance of native pasture and pasture sodseeded with winter species with or without glyphosate

O experimento foi desenvolvido em Bagé-RS, visando avaliar a produção de matéria seca (MS), taxa de lotação (kg de PV ha-1), ganho de peso vivo por animal (GMD, kg an-1 dia-1) e ganho por hectare (GPV ha-1) em: T1-pastagem nativa (testemunha); T2-pastagem nativa sobre-semeada com azevém (Lolium multiflorum), trevo branco (Trifolium repens) e cornichão (Lotus corniculatus); T3- semelhante ao anterior, mais aplicação de glifosato; T4- semelhante ao anterior, porém com adubação dobrada. Foram utilizados novilhos Braford. O sistema de pastejo foi o contínuo com ajustes na lotação para manter um nível de oferta de forragem de 10 por cento (10kg de MS 100kg PV-1 dia-1). Para a determinação da MS da pastagem, utilizou-se o método da dupla amostragem com uso de disco e para a determinação da taxa de acúmulo de MS, utilizou-se o método da gaiola de exclusão. As análises estatísticas foram feitas no programa SAS (1997). O delineamento experimental foi blocos inteiramente casualizados, tendo dois blocos e quatro tratamentos. A introdução de espécies hibernais em pastagem nativa com ou sem uso de glifosato contribuiu para aumentar a produtividade do campo nativo. A sobre-semeadura de espécies hibernais permitiu maior carga e ganho por animal e por área comparados com a pastagem nativa.

[Neuropsychology of eating disorders: a systematic review of the literature]. / Neuropsicologia dos transtornos alimentares: revisão sistemática da literatura.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of eating disorders is still unknown, with many factors possibly involved. The existence of a central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction is being investigated with particular interest. One of the most employed strategies to reach this goal is the evaluation of cognitive functioning of patients with eating disorders with neuropsychological tests. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current knowledge about the neuropsychology of ED. METHODS: We performed a review of several data bases (including MedLINE, PsychoINFO, LILACS and Cochrane Data Bank), using terms related to main theme of interest. The review comprised articles published up to January, 2004. RESULTS: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) was the most studied ED from the neuropsychological point-of-view, with studies tending to elicit attentive, visuo-spatial, and visuo-constructive deficits among such patients. On the other side, patients with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) exhibited deficits in the selective aspects of attention and in executive functions. As yet, there is no study covering the neuropsychological aspects of binge-eating disorder. After successful treatment, individuals show improvement of some cognitive deficits, while other seem to persist. CONCLUSIONS: The ED are possibly associated with a certain degree of neuropsychological dysfunction, even though there is no consensus with regard to which function is particularly impaired. The fact that some cognitive dysfunction tend to disappear after treatment argues in favor of the hypothesis that these are functional deficits. Other deficits, however, tend to persist, suggesting that they may precede the development of eating disorders or even contribute to their development or to a worse prognosis. The study of the neuropsychological aspects of ED may help tailoring more selective therapeutic approaches to patients suffering from these disorders.

Neuropsicologia dos transtornos alimentares: revisão sistemática da literatura / Neuropsychology of eating disorders: a systematic review of the literature

ANTECEDENTES: A etiologia dos transtornos alimentares (TA) ainda não se encontra estabelecida. Dentre os diversos fatores envolvidos, a hipótese de uma disfunção do sistema nervoso central tem sido explorada de diversas maneiras. Assim, a avaliação neuropsicológica de pacientes com TA tem por finalidade investigar a ocorrência de déficits cognitivos associados a estas patologias. OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o estado atual das investigações sobre a avaliação neuropsicológica em pacientes com TA. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica - utilizando as seguintes bases de dados como estratégias de procura: MedLINE, PsychoINFO, LILACS e Cochrane Data Bank -, procurando artigos relacionados ao tema e publicados até o ano de 2004. RESULTADOS: A anorexia nervosa é o transtorno alimentar que conta com mais estudos neuropsicológicos e, de uma forma geral, os resultados apontam para déficits de atenção, déficits viso-espaciais e de viso-construção. Na bulimia nervosa, as alterações mais encontradas são déficits de atenção seletiva e das funções executivas. O transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica ainda não conta com estudos neuropsicológicos até o momento. Após um tratamento bem-sucedido do transtorno alimentar, embora haja uma diminuição dos déficits cognitivos, algumas alterações cognitivas parecem persistir. CONCLUSÕES: Os transtornos alimentares parecem estar associados a algum grau de disfunção neuropsicológica, muito embora as funções específicas que se apresentam deficitárias variem entre os estudos encontrados, talvez em decorrência de variações metodológicas. O fato de que, após o tratamento, alguns pacientes apresentem uma melhora no funcionamento cognitivo poderia indicar que, em alguns casos, os déficits seriam funcionais. A ausência de melhora no funcionamento cognitivo de alguns pacientes, após diversas formas de intervenção, pode sugerir que estes déficits antecederiam o desenvolvimento dos transtornos alimentares, podendo, assim, contribuir para seu desenvolvimento ou para um pior prognóstico. O melhor delineamento do perfil cognitivo dos pacientes com transtorno alimentar torna-se importante para orientar abordagens terapêuticas mais seletivas.

Memory complaints and test performance in healthy elderly persons

In order to compare the use of a structured self-report questionnaire with direct questioning about memory problems, 71 healthy and independent aged individuals (63 women) from the community without risk factors for cognitive deficits were objectively asked about subjective memory complaints (SMC), given the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) and then submitted to the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). SMC positively correlated with higher scores on MAC-Q, although a significant percentage of the sample had SMC and lower scores on MAC-Q and also no SMC and higher scores on MAC-Q. Performance on RAVLT was significantly worse (p<0.05) for the group presenting SMC but not for the group with higher scores on the MAC-Q. We conclude that direct questioning maybe more clinically significant than a self report questionnaire, at least for elderly persons from the community without risk factors for cognitive decline or depression

Memory complaints and test performance in healthy elderly persons.

In order to compare the use of a structured self-report questionnaire with direct questioning about memory problems, 71 healthy and independent aged individuals (63 women) from the community without risk factors for cognitive deficits were objectively asked about subjective memory complaints (SMC), given the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) and then submitted to the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). SMC positively correlated with higher scores on MAC-Q, although a significant percentage of the sample had SMC and lower scores on MAC-Q and also no SMC and higher scores on MAC-Q. Performance on RAVLT was significantly worse (p<0.05) for the group presenting SMC but not for the group with higher scores on the MAC-Q. We conclude that direct questioning maybe more clinically significant than a self report questionnaire, at least for elderly persons from the community without risk factors for cognitive decline or depression.