Health Constructs and Measurement

V. Personal/Social/Environmental Resources (Contextual Variables)

 

Return to Measures List

Return to Table of Contents

 

Household income, Assets

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

Health and Retirement Survey (included economic measures)

Income included respondent and spouse combined.

 

 

Indicator variables were:

Income of $10,000 or less in past year, $10,000 or less in total net worth, private health insurance, and Medicaid insurance. Net worth questions included real estate, business ownership, pensions, stocks, bonds, checking and savings account, and all other sources.

Income and net worth was dichotomized at $10,000 or less to minimize impact of missing values.

 

 

 

Other populations used:

Clark, Stump, and Wollnsky (1998) report a secondary analysis of the Health and Retirement Survey to identify predictors of onset and recovery from mobility difficulty in older adults.

 

Clark, D.O., Stump, T.E., Wollnsky, F.D., (1998). Predictors of Onset of and Recovery from Mobility Difficulty among Adults Aged 51-61 Years. American Journal of Epidemiology, 148 (1), 63-71.

 

Economic Adequacy Scale

 

Lobo, M., (1996). The Economic Adequacy Measure. Unpublished manuscript.

Measures the degree to which respondents perceive their resources are adequate to meet their economic needs.

 

Self-report.

Possible range of scores is 8 to 32.

 

 

 

Disability populations used:

Stuifbergen, Seraphine, and Roberts (2000) have used this scale in a sample of persons with multiple sclerosis in a study titled Health Promotion and Quality of Life in Chronic Illness. Roberts and Stuifbergen (1998) also used this scale in a sample of 936 participants with multiple sclerosis. They report an alpha coefficient of 0.94, and a range in scores from 8 to 32.

 

Roberts, G., & Stuifbergen, A.K., (1998). Health appraisal models in multiple sclerosis. Social Science in Medicine, 47 (2), 243-253.

Stuifbergen, A., Seraphine, A., & Roberts, G., (2000). An explanatory model of health promotion and quality of life in chronic illness. Nursing Research, 49 (3), 122-129.


 

Assistive technology

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

Changes in Use of Assistive Technology

 

Campbell, M.L., Sheets, D., and Strong, P.S., (1999). Secondary health conditions among middle-aged individuals with chronic physical disabilities: Implications for unmet needs for services. Assistive Technology, 11, 105-122.

Assesses changes in the use of mobility devices and other assistive technology;/durable medical equipment.

Change in use of mobility devices (7 items)

Change in use of other assistive technology (5 items)

Reference period and current time of measurement. Self-report.

 

 

 

 

Disability populations used:

Campbell, Sheets, and Strong (1999) administered this measure to middle-aged persons living with polio, rheumatoid arthritis, and stroke.

 

Campbell, M.L., Sheets, D., and Strong, P.S., (1999). Secondary health conditions among middle-aged individuals with chronic physical disabilities: Implications for unmet needs for services. Assistive Technology, 11, 105-122.

 

 


 

Employment

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

Health and Retirement Survey

 

2-parts:

1 question asks “currently working for pay”; second part assesses physical demands (physical effort, lifting heavy loads, stooping kneeling, or crouching).

 

2-parts:

1 question asks “currently working for pay”; second part assesses physical demands using three statements, a four-point Likert scale, and a nine-point score.

 

 

 

Other populations used:

Clark, Stump, and Wollnsky (1998) report a secondary analysis of the Health and Retirement Survey to identify predictors of onset and recovery from mobility difficulty in older adults.

 

Clark, D.O., Stump, T.E., Wollnsky, F.D., (1998). Predictors of Onset of and Recovery from Mobility Difficulty among Adults Aged 51-61 Years. American Journal of Epidemiology, 148 (1), 63-71.

 

Employment

 

 

 

Self-report, present or current status.

Dichotomous variable (0=not employed, 1= employed).

 

 

 

Disability populations used:

This measure was used by Stuifbergen and Becker (1994) in a sample of 117 people with disabilities.

 

Stuifbergen, A.K., and Becker, H.A., (1994). Predictors of health promoting lifestyles in persons with disabilities. Research in Nursing and Health, 17, 3-13.

 


 

Access to Health Care

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disability populations used:

Becker, Stuifbergen, and Tinkle (1997) describe a semi-structured interview which asks women with MS about their reproductive health care experiences, including access to information and services. in Archives of Phys Medicine and Rehabilitation, 78, S26-S33.

 

 

 


 

Lack of Services or Support

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

Current Unmet Need for Services and Support.

 

Campbell, M.L., Sheets, D., and Strong, P.S., (1999). Secondary health conditions among middle-aged individuals with chronic physical disabilities: Implications for unmet needs for services. Assistive Technology, 11, 105-122.

Assesses total number of unmet needs for services and support.

1)   informal support from family and friends

2)   doctor/health care services

3)   health insurance

4)   assistive technology or home modifications

5)   help with ADLs or IADLs

6)   financial assistance

Self-report, current timing.

Dichotomous variable (yes=1), summated scores.

 

 

 

Disability populations used:

Campbell, Sheets, and Strong (1999) administered this measure to middle-aged persons living with polio, rheumatoid arthritis, and stroke.

 

Campbell, M.L., Sheets, D., and Strong, P.S., (1999). Secondary health conditions among middle-aged individuals with chronic physical disabilities: Implications for unmet needs for services. Assistive Technology, 11, 105-122.

 

See also II. Psychosocial Measures, Social Support.
Service Organizations

Instrument Name and Original Reference

Instrument Description & Construct

Measured

Dimensions/

subscales

Indicator (Timing + Source of Data)

Variables (Number of Items, Scale, & Range)

Test Population

Instrument Reliability

Psychometric Review of Instrument Validity

CIL support

 

Described in: Balcazar, Y.S., Seekins, T., Paine, A., et al., (1989). Self-help and social support groups for people with disabilities: A descriptive report. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 33 (2), 151-158.

 

 

 

Instrument developed to measure how much support CILs provide to their consumers. Questionnaire inquires about how many support groups have been operated or sponsored, how many other groups are available in the community, and the number of consumers referred to support groups, and the goals of the support groups.

 

Number of consumers referred to support groups in past month, self-report.

8-items

 

 

 

Other populations used: