British journal of health psychology
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Br J Health Psychol · Feb 2013
Comparative StudySystematic comparison between ecological momentary assessment and day reconstruction method for fatigue and mood states in healthy adults.
While both ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and the day reconstruction method (DRM) have been used to overcome recall bias, a full systematic comparison of these methods has not been conducted. This study was aimed to investigate the differences and correlations between momentary fatigue and mood states recorded by EMA and reconstructed ones recorded by simultaneous DRM in healthy adults. ⋯ Although the overall mean and variability of EMA recordings may be accessible with DRM, detailed changes over time of momentary fatigue and mood states are not retrieved by DRM. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Day reconstruction method (DRM) may be a reliable substitute strategy for the measurement of subjective symptoms instead of ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Remembering the context of daily activities with DRM is assumed to be helpful in reconstructing subjective symptoms without recall bias. What does this study add? We are not able to reconstruct our diurnal time course (i.e. detailed changes over time) of subjective symptoms (e.g. fatigue and mood states in this study) with DRM, while their approximate mean and overall variability during the study period may be accessible with DRM. Reconstructed depression by DRM could be biased when the subjects remembered whether their behaviour was active or inactive.
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Br J Health Psychol · Feb 2013
Searching the internet for help with pain: adolescent search, coping, and medication behaviour.
To explore a community sample of adolescents for engagement with online pain resources. To assess if the use of the Internet to search for health information correlated with measures of coping, risk taking, catastrophizing about pain, and engaging in the self-management of pain. ⋯ What is already known on this subject? Internet use in adolescents is common, mobile, and displays a level of technical awareness unparalleled by adults. The internet is postulated in previous research to present a platform for the delivery of health care, particularly information to aid health decision-making for young people. What does this study add? This study explores how adolescents use the internet to look for health information, particularly on pain and where this falls in a general profile of coping with illness. Interestingly and counterintuitively, adolescents did not use the internet to look for health or pain information. We hypothesize that there may be something about information on pain management that does not readily transfer to the digital world in a way that is useful to adolescent users.
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Br J Health Psychol · Feb 2013
The perceived sensitivity to medicines (PSM) scale: an evaluation of validity and reliability.
We report on the development and psychometric properties of a scale to measure perceived sensitivity to medicines (PSM). Design. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion-related, and predictive validity of the PSM Scale were evaluated using data collected as part of four previously published studies and one unpublished data set. ⋯ What is already known on this subject? It is now well understood that beliefs about medicines have an important influence on whether patients start and continue with treatment. Research spanning a range of long-term conditions and across different countries has shown that treatment uptake and adherence are consistently related to specific beliefs about prescribed medicines, such as how patients judge their personal need relative to concerns about potential adverse effects as well as more general beliefs about medicines as a class of treatment. What does this study add? The paper reports on the development and psychometric properties of a new scale to measure patients' perceptions of their sensitivity to medicines. In five studies involving different groups of individuals we found the Perceived Sensitivity to Medicines (PSM) Scale to be a reliable and valid measure. The PSM may be useful for researchers and clinicians in explaining treatment decisions, adherence and reported side-effects.