Validation of the surgical fear questionnaire in adult patients waiting for elective surgery

Objectives: Because existing instruments for assessing surgical fear seem either too general or too limited, the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was developed. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the SFQ. Methods: Based on existing literature and expert consultation the ten-item SFQ was composed. Data on the SFQ were obtained from 5 prospective studies (N = 3233) in inpatient or day surgery patients. These data were used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis and validity analysis. Results: EFA in Study 1 and 2 revealed a two-factor structure with one factor associated with fear of the short-term consequences of surgery (SFQ-s, item 1-4) and the other factor with fear of the long-term consequences of surgery (SFQ-l, item 5-10). However, in both studies two items of the SFQ-l had low factor loadings. Therefore in Study 3 and 4 the 2-factor structure was tested and confirmed by CFA in an eight-item version of the SFQ. Across all studies significant correlations of the SFQ with pain catastrophizing, state anxiety, and preoperative pain intensity indicated good convergent validity. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was between 0.765-0.920 (SFQ-total), 0.766-0.877 (SFQ-s), and 0.628-0.899 (SFQ-l). The SFQ proved to be sensitive to detect differences based on age, sex, education level, employment status and preoperative pain intensity. Discussion: The SFQ is a valid and reliable eight-item index of surgical fear consisting of two subscales: fear of the short-term consequences of surgery and fear of the long-term consequences.This study was conducted with departmental funding and supported by a grant from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Zon-MW, http://www.zonmw.nl/en/), grant no. 110000007. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Toxoplasma gondii: epidemiological study of pigs from southwestern Paraná, Brazil

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2020-02-11T15:29:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 RegianeVicente_TatianaCosta_etal_IOC_2008.pdf: 109483 bytes, checksum: bccb1603a023c2f544c0fa572b242bec (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2020-02-11T15:38:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 RegianeVicente_TatianaCosta_etal_IOC_2008.pdf: 109483 bytes, checksum: bccb1603a023c2f544c0fa572b242bec (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2020-02-11T15:38:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RegianeVicente_TatianaCosta_etal_IOC_2008.pdf: 109483 bytes, checksum: bccb1603a023c2f544c0fa572b242bec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Pós-Graduação em Higiene Veterinária e Processamento Tecnológico de Produtos de Origem Animal. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. Serviço de Inspeção Federal. Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Protozoologia. Laboratório de Toxoplasmose. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Protozoologia. Laboratório de Toxoplasmose. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Protozoologia. Laboratório de Toxoplasmose. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.This study evaluated the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pigs bred and slaughtered for human consumption. The frequency of the antibody anti-Toxoplasma gondii was investigated in 408 animals from distinct piggeries of 25 cities in the southwestern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil. Serum samples were examined for IgG antibodies specific for T. gondii through the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). A frequency of 25.5% of serum samples tested positive for dilutions equal to or greater than 1:64. statistically significant were not observed in relation to sex and age of the animals. The highest antibody level observed was 4,096 (3.0%) and the most frequent was 64 (74%), suggesting that a chronic infection occurred in the population. The high prevalence of the infection found in the swine herds of this region suggests that these herds can be a source of infection for individuals who typically consume this type of raw or badly cooked meat