Determinants of school attendance in elementary school students in Japan: A structural equation model

Donald Maciver - ORCID: 0000-0002-6173-429X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6173-429XBackground Managing school nonattendance is a priority worldwide. Frequent school nonattendance in early school years has immediate and long-term negative effects. Although strategies to address nonattendance are being developed and implemented, the number of students with school nonattendance issues is increasing. In this study, we explored students’ feelings and perceptions about attending school and the potential determinants of a positive attitude towards attending school.Methods We hypothesized that a positive perception towards attending school was influenced by relationships, perceptions of current circumstances, subjective health, and having someone to share experiences and thoughts with. For examining the hypothesized model, an original questionnaire with 14 items was developed, including perceptions towards school attendance (an item), relationships with friends and school teachers (5 items), current circumstances (4 items), subjective health (3 items), and the individuals available to share experiences and thoughts with (1 item). In total, 6860 children submitted the questionnaire (85.3% response rate) and 6841 responses were included to examine the model. Children were 10 or 11 years old, and selected from 111 state-run schools in 8 randomly selected school districts.Results The final model demonstrated good fit and showed that the latent variable of relationships with friends and school teachers directly impacted on how children felt about attending school. The latent variable of subjective health also directly impacted on how children felt about attending school but not strongly. Other latent variables were not significant.Conclusions The importance of positive relationships with friends and teachers in overcoming school nonattendance has been emphasized in previous studies. This study has provided evidence that these relationships impacted children’s positive perception about attending school in a large sample of students aged 10–11 years. The latent variable of subjective health may require more items to capture mental health.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00391-515pubpu

Factors influencing junior high school students’ perceptions of attending school in Japan

Donald Maciver - ORCID: 0000-0002-6173-429X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6173-429XBackground School attendance is a crucial determinant of academic success. Our previous research has identified factors that influence elementary school students’ perceptions of attending school, but whether these factors apply to older students remains unclear. We investigated the extent to which the factors identified in the previous research apply to junior high school students and their attitudes toward attending school. Methods We hypothesized that students’ “perceptions of attending school” was directly influenced by their perceptions of “relationships with friends and teachers,” “current circumstances,” “subjective health status,” and “having people to share experiences and thoughts with.” We developed an original questionnaire with 19 items and analyzed data collected from 6245 junior high school students in Japan, using a structural equation model. Results The final model demonstrated a good fit. Students’ “positive perceptions of attending school” was directly and positively influenced by their “positive perceptions of relationships with friends and teachers” and directly and negatively influenced by their “perceptions of poorer subjective health status”. Other latent variables directly and positively influenced the perceptions of attending school, but not strongly. Students’ perceptions of “relationships with friends and teachers,” “current circumstances,” and “having people to share experiences and thoughts with” correlated positively with each other. These three latent variables also correlated negatively with “poorer subjective health status.” Conclusions The role of positive relationships with friends and teachers in shaping students' perceptions of school attendance, coupled with the negative impact of poorer subjective health status, underscores the need for educators to adopt approaches that specifically address these areas. It is crucial to provide support to students in cultivating positive relationships, fostering positive perceptions of school, and offering resources to those who are encountering mental or physical health challenges. Implementing the evidence-based questionnaire developed in this study is recommended to enhance student support and well-being.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00631-w17pubpu

Assessing the Structural Characteristics of the Japanese Version of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for Carers

As there are no standardized measures of Quality of Life (QoL) of informal carers impacted by use of long-term care (LTC) in Japan, the development or translation and cross-cultural adaptation of LTC outcomes measures for carers is needed for LTC research and evaluation. In this study, we assessed the validity and reliability of the factor structure and response system of the translated and cross-culturally adapted Japanese version of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for Carer (J-ASCOTCarer). Participants were 872 informal family caregivers of adults with LTC services, living at home. Almost half (46 %) were aged between 50 and 59 years and 60 % took care of their mother . We used a combined factor analysis and item response theory approach. Model fit indices consideredwerefactor loading, path coefficients, root mean square error of approximation, standardized root mean square residual, and comparative fit index. This study confirmed the one factor structure ofthe original English version of the ASCOT-Carer. The values for the model fit indices indicated a good fit. The validity and reliability of the response system wereconfirmed. The J-ASCOT-Carer is a promising assessment instrument to measure QoL of Japanese caregivers of adultswith LTC

Japanese translation and cross-cultural validation of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) in Japanese social service users

Background: The aim of this study was to develop and perform cross-cultural validation of a Japanese version of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) four-level Self-Completion questionnaire (SCT4) instrument to measure Social-Care Related Quality of Life. It was important to develop a Japanese version of the ASCOT-SCT4 and validate it in the Japanese context, given the interest in measuring outcomes of social care services in Japan. Methods: The original version of ASCOT-SCT4 was translated into Japanese following good practice guidelines. Additionally, comments and feedback were obtained from an independent committee engaged in managing and providing social care services to refine the flow of sentences of the newly developed translated version. The resulting version was tested for cross-cultural validation among community-dwelling adults who use social care services to confirm the factorial structure and the scale system of the Japanese version, using Structural Equation Modeling and Item Response Theory. Results: Vigorous discussion was needed to translate the original version into Japanese especially for the items control over daily life and dignity. These two items were linguistically difficult to express in everyday language so potential participants could easily understand the intended concepts. In the cross-cultural validation, we obtained values for model fit within the acceptable range: between 0.706 and 0.550 for factor loadings, 0.923 for the Comparative Fit Index, 0.910 for the Tucker-Lewis Index, and 0.083 for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation. This confirmed the factorial structure of the Japanese version. The IRT analysis, however, revealed that the scale system needed refinement to facilitate appropriate differentiation between each response option. Conclusions: This study provided preliminary evidence that the Japanese version of ASCOT-SCT4 is valid. As a result, the Japanese version was finalized and approved by the instrument developer

Japanese Translation and Cross-Cultural Validation of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (Ascot) in Japanese Social Service Users

The aim of this study was to develop and perform cross-cultural validation of a Japanese version of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) four-level Self-Completion questionnaire (SCT4) instrument to measure Social-Care Related Quality of Life. It was important to develop a Japanese version of the ASCOT-SCT4 and validate it in the Japanese context, given the interest in measuring outcomes of social care services in Japan

Development of Japanese utility weights for the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) SCT4

Purpose: In developed countries, progressive rapid aging is increasing the need for social care. This study aimed to determine Japanese utility weights for the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) four-level self-completion questionnaire (SCT4). Methods: We recruited 1050 Japanese respondents from the general population, stratified by sex and age, from five major cities. In the best–worst scaling (BWS) phase, respondents ranked various social care-related quality of life (SCRQoL) states as “best,” “worst,” “second-best,” or “second-worst,” as per the ASCOT. Then, respondents were asked to evaluate eight different SCRQOL states by composite time-trade off (cTTO). A mixed logit model was used to analyze BWS data. The association between cTTO and latent BWS scores was used to estimate a scoring formula that would convert BWS scores to SC-QALY (social care quality-adjusted life year) scores. Results: Japanese BWS weightings for ASCOT-SCT4 were successfully estimated and found generally consistent with the UK utility weights. However, coefficients on level 3 of “Control over daily life” and “Occupation” domains differed markedly between Japan and the UK. The worst Japanese SCRQoL state was lower than that for the UK, as Japanese cTTO results showed more negative valuations. In general, Japanese SC-QALY score (for more than 90% of health states) was lower than that for the UK. Conclusions: We successfully obtained Japanese utility weights for ASCOT SCT4. This will contribute to the measurement and understanding of social care outcomes

Development, psychometrics and feasibility of the School Participation Questionnaire: A teacher measure of participation related constructs

Donald Maciver - ORCID 0000-0002-6173-429X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6173-429XReplaced AM with VoR 2020-10-16. Replaced VoR with updated version 2020-11-17.Background We report development of the SPQ (School Participation Questionnaire) a teacher-completed measure of participation related constructs for schools. The SPQ was developed to support participation-related assessment, interventions, and research in the inclusive school context.Methods Several iterative steps were undertaken. An international panel of experts reviewed content validity. A 66-item pilot questionnaire was administered in schools. Mokken and Rasch model analysis were applied. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Analyses were conducted on associations with teacher and child demographic variables. Feedback was sourced from users. Participants were teachers of 101 children (5−12 years old) with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties.Results Four participation-related dimensions of the SPQ were confirmed. Rasch person and item reliability were good, and 2–4 strata were confirmed per scale. Internal consistency was good (all scales, Cronbach α > 0.8). Mean administration time was 11.7 min. Mean SPQ scores were independent of teacher characteristics. A significant effect of school support level, eligibility for free school meals and gender was found. Through synthesising analytic results and feedback, a new 46-item tool was obtained.Conclusion The results of this study provide evidence of acceptability, practicality and validity. The SPQ is the first tool developed to assess participation related constructs in schools, and it contains novel information not given by other assessments. The SPQ may be used by practitioners and researchers to understand and improve the participation of children with a range of disabilities in schools.This research was funded by NHS Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council & Scottish Government.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103766106pubpu

Participation‐related constructs and participation of children with additional support needs in schools

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2022-03-07, rev-recd 2022-07-21, accepted 2022-07-25, pub-electronic 2022-09-25Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedFunder: City of Edinburgh CouncilFunder: National Health Service LothianFunder: Scottish Government; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100012095Funder: Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010033Abstract: Aim: To investigate associations between participation‐related constructs and participation frequency and involvement in inclusive schools. Method: In this cross‐sectional study, teachers of children with additional support needs, including intellectual disability, autism, and learning difficulties, completed measures. Participation‐related constructs were measured using the School Participation Questionnaire; participation frequency and involvement were measured using the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth. A series of multilevel linear mixed‐effects regression models with maximum likelihood estimates and bootstrap confidence intervals with p‐values were obtained. Final models included participation‐related constructs and participation, controlling for demographic and diagnostic confounders (including age, sex, language, level of school support, and autism). Results: Six hundred and eighty‐eight children (448 [65.1%] males; mean age 8 years 7 months [range 4 years 10 months–12 years 13 months, standard deviation 2 years 1 months]) were assessed by 252 teachers. Across a series of models, participation‐related constructs were consistently associated with more intensive participation (competence, environment, identity p < 0.001; symptoms p = 0.007), independent of confounders. More frequent participation remained associated with three of four participation‐related constructs (competence, identity p < 0.001; environment p = 0.021). Age (p = 0.046), language (p = 0.002), and level of school support (p = 0.039) also remained significantly associated with frequency of participation. Interpretation: Children with additional support needs in inclusive schools may have several participation barriers. Policies and interventions to improve participation are needed