Methods and representativeness of a European survey in children and adolescents: the KIDSCREEN study

Background: The objective of the present study was to compare three different sampling and questionnaire administration methods used in the international KIDSCREEN study in terms of participation, response rates, and external validity. Methods: Children and adolescents aged 8-18 years were surveyed in 13 European countries using either telephone sampling and mail administration, random sampling of school listings followed by classroom or mail administration, or multistage random sampling of communities and households with self-administration of the survey materials at home. Cooperation, completion, and response rates were compared across countries and survey methods. Data on non-respondents was collected in 8 countries. The population fraction (PF, respondents in each sex-age, or educational level category, divided by the population in the same category from Eurostat census data) and population fraction ratio (PFR, ratio of PF) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to analyze differences by country between the KIDSCREEN samples and a reference Eurostat population. Results: Response rates by country ranged from 18.9% to 91.2%. Response rates were highest in the school-based surveys (69.0%-91.2%). Sample proportions by age and gender were similar to the reference Eurostat population in most countries, although boys and adolescents were slightly underrepresented (PFR <1). Parents in lower educational categories were less likely to participate (PFR <1 in 5 countries). Parents in higher educational categories were overrepresented when the school and household sampling strategies were used (PFR = 1.78-2.97). Conclusion: School-based sampling achieved the highest overall response rates but also produced slightly more biased samples than the other methods. The results suggest that the samples were sufficiently representative to provide reference population values for the KIDSCREEN instrument

Gesundheitsforderung in der stationaren Altenbetreuung Forderliche und hinderliche Faktoren bei der Implementation eines Mobilitatsprogramms

Marent B, Wieczorek CC, Schmied H, et al. Gesundheitsförderung in der stationären Altenbetreuung. Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung. 2014;9(4):298-304

Reliability, construct and criterion validity of the KIDSCREEN-10 score: a short measure for children and adolescents’ well-being and health-related quality of life

Background To assess the criterion and construct validity of the KIDSCREEN-10 well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) score, a short version of the KIDSCREEN-52 and KIDSCREEN-27 instruments. Methods The child self-report and parent report versions of the KIDSCREEN-10 were tested in a sample of 22,830 European children and adolescents aged 8–18 and their parents (n = 16,237). Correlation with the KIDSCREEN-52 and associations with other generic HRQoL measures, physical and mental health, and socioeconomic status were examined. Score differences by age, gender, and country were investigated. Results Correlations between the 10-item KIDSCREEN score and KIDSCREEN-52 scales ranged from r = 0.24 to 0.72 (r = 0.27–0.72) for the self-report version (proxy-report version). Coefficients below r = 0.5 were observed for the KIDSCREEN-52 dimensions Financial Resources and Being Bullied only. Cronbach alpha was 0.82 (0.78), test–retest reliability was ICC = 0.70 (0.67) for the self- (proxy-)report version. Correlations between other children self-completed HRQoL questionnaires and KIDSCREEN-10 ranged from r = 0.43 to r = 0.63 for the KIDSCREEN children self-report and r = 0.22–0.40 for the KIDSCREEN parent proxy report. Known group differences in HRQoL between physically/mentally healthy and ill children were observed in the KIDSCREEN-10 self and proxy scores. Associations with self-reported psychosomatic complaints were r = −0.52 (−0.36) for the KIDSCREEN-10 self-report (proxy-report). Statistically significant differences in KIDSCREEN-10 self and proxy scores were found by socioeconomic status, age, and gender. Conclusions Our results indicate that the KIDSCREEN-10 provides a valid measure of a general HRQoL factor in children and adolescents, but the instrument does not represent well most of the single dimensions of the original KIDSCREEN-52. Test–retest reliability was slightly below a priori defined thresholds

The KIDSCREEN-52 Quality of Life Measure for Children and Adolescents: Psychometric Results from a Cross-Cultural Survey in 13 European Countries

Les peptides constituent un moyen simplifié d’étudier le fonctionnement des protéines et des moyens thérapeutiques potentiellement très intéressants. Ce travail a permis l’investigation de deux peptides, le peptide synthétique LAH4 et le domaine T de la protéine diphtérique en interaction avec d’autres macromolécules. Le peptide LAH4 conçu et synthétisé par notre laboratoire, présente les propriétés générales des peptides amphipathiques et se lie également fortement à l’ADN permetant son transfert dans les cellules en tant que vecteur de transfection. Dans le but de mieux comprendre l’activité du peptide LAH4 pendant la transfection, j’ai examiné ses propriétés biophysiques par ITC (isothermal titration calorimetry), CD (Circular Dichroism) et RMN du solide. Les resultats montrent que la structure en hélice-αdu peptide est maintenue après complexation de l’ADN. A pH neutre des liaisons électrostatiques lient les molécules de façon non spécifique et un ratio très élevé de LAH4 est requis pour la saturation et la condensation de l’ADN. A plus faible pH des interactions électrostatiques et des contributions hydrophobes stabilisent le complexe peptide/ADN, et le ratio de saturation est réduit de presque moitié. Les données concordent à l’élaboration d’un model d’action du peptide LAH4 pendant les premières étapes de la transfection. En parallèle, nous avons developé une strategie d’expression du LAH4 chez E.coli afin de le marquer 13C uniformément pour son étude par RMN. Des études par RMN du solide ont été entreprises sur le domaine T de la toxine diphtérique afin de comprendre la topologie dans des vésicules membranaires. Des échantillons de domaine T uniformément marqués en 15N ont été préparés en reconstituant les conditions présentes dans l’endosome de façon très simplifiée. Les résultats montrent un rôle important joué autant par le lipide anionique POPG que par le pH dans l’insertion du peptide dans la membrane et dans l’interruption de celle-ci. Membrane associated proteins and peptides constitute a privileged medical target. Some of them also present also an important potential in therapeutics. This work has permitted the investigation of two peptides, the synthetic peptide LAH4 and the diphtherias toxin T domain in interaction with other macromolecules. The LAH4 peptide designed and synthesized in our laboratory, presents all the general properties of amphipathic peptides and also binds strongly to the DNA allowing its transfer into the cells. In order to better understand the activity of the LAH4 peptide during transfection, I have examined its biophysical properties by ITC (Isothermal Titration Calorimetry), CD (Circular Dichroism) and solid-state NMR. The resultats show that the α-helical structure of the peptide is maintained after DNA complexation. At neutral pH, the molecules are bound in an electrostatic non-specific manner and a high ratio of LAH4 is required for DNA saturation and condensation. At low pH electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic contributions stabilize the complex and the saturation ratio is reduced. The data lead to the elaboration of a model of action for the LAH4 peptide during the first steps of transfection. In parallel, we have developed a strategy of expression of the LAH4 peptide in E.coli in order to uniformly label the peptide 13C for its study by NMR. Solid state NMR studies have been undertaken on the diphtheria toxin domain T in order to investigate its topology inside membrane vesicles. The samples of 15N uniformly labeled T domain were prepared in a simplified system mimicking endosomal conditions. The data show an important role of the pH and of the anionic lipid POPG in the peptides membrane insertion and interruption

Methods and representativeness of European surveys in children and adolescents: the KIDSCREEN study

Background: The objective of the present study was to compare three different sampling and questionnaire administration methods used in the international KIDSCREEN study in terms of participation, response rates, and external validity. Methods: Children and adolescents aged 8–18 years were surveyed in 13 European countries using either telephone sampling and mail administration, random sampling of school listings followed by classroom or mail administration, or multistage random sampling of communities and households with self-administration of the survey materials at home. Cooperation, completion, and response rates were compared across countries and survey methods. Data on non-respondents was collected in 8 countries. The population fraction (PF, respondents in each sex-age, or educational level category, divided by the population in the same category from Eurostat census data) and population fraction ratio (PFR, ratio of PF) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to analyze differences by country between the KIDSCREEN samples and a reference Eurostat population. Results: Response rates by country ranged from 18.9% to 91.2%. Response rates were highest in the school-based surveys (69.0%–91.2%). Sample proportions by age and gender were similar to the reference Eurostat population in most countries, although boys and adolescents were slightly underrepresented (PFR <1). Parents in lower educational categories were less likely to participate (PFR <1 in 5 countries). Parents in higher educational categories were overrepresented when the school and household sampling strategies were used (PFR = 1.78–2.97). Conclusion: School-based sampling achieved the highest overall response rates but also produced slightly more biased samples than the other methods. The results suggest that the samples were sufficiently representative to provide reference population values for the KIDSCREEN instrument