Development and Psychometric Properties of A Screening Tool for Assessing Developmental Coordination Disorder in Adults

Background: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor coordination. Evidence suggests this disorder persists into adulthood and may be associated with biomechanical dysfunction and pain. We report on the development and initial validation of a questionnaire to assess for DCD in adults. Methods: An initial item pool (13 items) was derived from the American Psychiatric Association criteria and World Health Organisation definition for DCD. An expert panel assessed face and content validity which led to a 9-item Functional Difficulties Questionnaire (FDQ-9) with possible scores ranging from 9-36 (higher scores indicating greater functional difficulties). The FDQ-9 was piloted on individuals recruited from convenience samples. The underlying factor structure and aspects of reliability, validity and accuracy were tested. The Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve was employed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the test using self-reported dyspraxia as the reference standard. Results: Principal Axis Factoring yielded a two factor solution relating to gross and fine motor skills; for conceptual parsimony these were combined. Internal reliability was high (0.81), the mean inter-item correlation was 0.51 and preliminary findings suggested satisfactory construct validity. The Area under the Curve was 0.918 [95% CI 0.84-1.00] indicating a diagnostic test with high accuracy. A cut-off score was established with a sensitivity and specificity of 86% [95% CI 78%-89%] and 81% [95 % CI 73%-89%] respectively. Test-retest reliability was good (ICC 0.96 [95% CI 0.92 to 0.98]. Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the FDQ-9 appear promising. Work is required to conduct further psychometric evaluations on new samples and apply the scale to clinical practice

Facilitating improvements in interprofessional pain management.

Pain is a global phenomenon in which it has been estimated that 20% of adults and 8% of children suffer from at any one time of whom 10% suffer chronic pain [1,2]. Pain is the leading reason for primary care consultations (80%) and musculoskeletal pain is the commonest reason for work absenteeism [3,4]. Pain is complex and there are aspects that require better recognition and understanding in order to improve its treatment and management.</p

Cultural challenges to secondary prevention: Implications for Saudi women

Like other highly developed countries, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are major health problems in Saudi Arabia. The aetiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden within the Saudi population is similar to Western countries with atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and diabetes highly prevalent with the main risk factors being smoking, obesity and inactivity. There are differences between Saudi men and women in epidemiology, risk factors and health service provision for CHD. These sex and gender based factors are important in considering the health and well-being of Saudi women. Currently, there is limited focus on the cardiovascular health of Saudi women. The aim of this paper is to examine culturally specific issues for Saudi women and the implications for secondary prevention

Thomas Moran\u27s West: Chromolithography, High Art, and Popular Taste

Review of: Thomas Moran\u27s West: Chromolithography, High Art, and Popular Taste, by Joni L. Kinsey

'My grandmother told me the story about...': Folklore in a Secondary Short Story Unit

Communication

Leadership Matters: Building Leadership Capacity

Explores strategies that school administrators employ in schools where student learning has improved. Outlines the key conditions for accelerating student achievement, and provides criteria for determining the quality of project-based learning

Making Community-Based Research Work: Lessons Learned from a Liberal Arts College

Trinity College launched the Community Learning Research Fellows Program in 2011 to support undergraduate community-based research (CBR). Our goal was to create an environment that supports high-quality undergraduate research consistent with the principles of community learning. Our strategy focused on building the right type of collaborative relationships among the different actors involved in CBR. We learned three important lessons in our efforts to support these relationships: (1) The community perspective must be integrated into the structure of the program to lend it authority; (2) Peer learning should be used to better prepare students to meet the challenges of CBR; and (3) Expanding the collaborative learning model to include a diverse group of participants empowers students to construct knowledge with and for their community partners. The broader implications of these lessons are discussed in the conclusion

Public service restructuring in the Caribbean: A comparative case study analysis: Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

The following is a comparative case study analysis of the models of public service restructuring used in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The model used by the Canadian government, Public Service 2000, among others, has also been reviewed. The purpose of this study is to examine the model being implemented in Trinidad and Tobago and to analyze its strengths and weaknesses, including a prognosis for its success. The first chapter provides background to the public service problems experienced in the three countries and the rationale for restructuring. It also identifies six criteria that will be used in the analysis of the models. The second chapter reviews the literature pertaining to international models of restructuring in the public as well as the private sector. The third chapter examines the models of restructuring used in Jamaica and Barbados and outlines their present levels of achievement in the reform effort. The fourth chapter analyzes the model being implemented in Trinidad and Tobago and discusses some of the major concerns involved in the process of its implementation. Finally, the Conclusion compares the models, using the pre-established criteria, and outlines those criteria that have been found to be most important for successful implementation of administrative restructuring in the Caribbean.Dept. of History, Philosophy, and Political Science. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1994 .C52. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 34-02, page: 0596. Adviser: Robert Krause. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1995