Measuring Self-Appraised Changes following Participation in an Intervention for Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Self-Appraisal of Change Scale, a measure designed to capture domains that are subjectively relevant to caregivers, associated with overall well-being, and amenable to change upon engaging in an intervention. Data from 107 caregivers of veterans with dementia enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered caregiver psychoeducation and support group program (the Telehealth Education Program (TEP)) were analyzed. The TEP, which was delivered by master’s prepared social workers and a nurse dementia care manager, targeted caregivers’ dementia-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-management skills. Analyses were conducted to determine the factor structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of the scale. Factor analyses yielded a single-factor solution for the scale’s nine items. The reliability and construct validity of the scale were also supported by the analyses. Multi-group analyses suggested that meaningful comparisons of scale items and total raw scores can be made across usual care (UC) and intervention groups. The findings offer preliminary support that the scale may represent a valid and reliable instrument that captures perceived changes in key domains (e.g. caregiving knowledge, attitudes, and skill) following participation in a psychoeducational and support intervention trial.     

Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge Among Men and Women Aged 15 to 49 Years in Metropolitan Tehran

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge is an important predictor of an individual’s sexual behavior; however, little is known regarding this issue among Iranians. This study assessed sexual and reproductive health knowledge among men and women aged 15 to 49 years in Tehran. A total of 755 men and women aged 15 to 49 years were recruited using multistage, random cluster sampling in June 2014. An illustrative anonymous questionnaire endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used to collect the data. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The results showed that men and women were moderately knowledgeable about sexual and reproductive health (mean score of SRH knowledge = 39, range: 26 to 52); however, myths and misperceptions prevailed in different aspects of SRH. For example, only 45% of women and 38.7% of men accurately knew that a person infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can look healthy. Friends were identified as the primary or secondary source of knowledge about puberty and sex-related issues. A multivariate analysis showed that being female (coefficient = 0.139, p < 0.001) and being married (coefficient = 0.180, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of better SRH knowledge, while being young (age group 15 to 24) was a significant determinant of poor SRH knowledge (coefficient = ?0.161, p < 0.001) when other influencing factors were controlled. Culturally appropriate and age-specific comprehensive education is recommended, particularly for men, the unmarried, and the younger generation in Iran.