Searching for disability in electronic databases of published literature.

Background: As researchers in disability and health conduct systematic reviews with greater frequency, the definition of disability used in these reviews gains importance. Translating a comprehensive conceptual definition of "disability" into an operational definition that utilizes electronic databases in the health sciences is a difficult step necessary for performing systematic literature reviews in the field. Consistency of definition across studies will help build a body of evidence that is comparable and amenable to synthesis.

Development and psychometric assessment of the function-neutral health-related quality of life measure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the conceptual framework, item pool, and psychometric properties of a new function-neutral measure of health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL).

Design: This is an expert panel review of existing measures of HRQOL and development of a conceptual model, core constructs, and item pool and a validation by experts in specific disabilities and in cultural competence. Items were cognitively tested, pilot tested for functional bias, field tested with a national sample of adults with various limitations, and reliability tested via repeat administration.

Improving cancer screening among women with mobility impairments: randomized controlled trial of a participatory workshop intervention.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of an intervention to promote mammography and Papanicolaou (Pap) testing among women with mobility impairments overdue for screenings.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Urban and suburban Oregon.

Secondary analysis of a scoping review of health promotion interventions for persons with disabilities: Do health promotion interventions for people with mobility impairments address secondary condition reduction and increased community participation?

Background: Secondary conditions can have very serious outcomes for people with physical disabilities. Such consequences can range from immobility due to pressure sores to withdrawal and isolation due to depression, decreasing participation in the community.

Objective/hypothesis: To further investigate these assumptions, we conducted a review of the literature on health promotion interventions that include physical activity for adults with disabilities to determine whether they have a positive effect on the reduction of secondary conditions and increased community participation.

Using intervention mapping to promote the receipt of clinical preventive services among women with physical disabilities.

This article describes the development of Promoting Access to Health Services (PATHS), an intervention to promote regular use of clinical preventive services by women with physical disabilities. The intervention was developed using intervention mapping (IM), a theory-based logical process that incorporates the six steps of assessment of need, preparation of matrices, selection of theoretical methods and strategies, program design, program implementation, and evaluation. The development process used methods and strategies aligned with the social cognitive theory and the health belief model.

Description of a media campaign about alcohol use during pregnancy.

Objective: This study describes the development and testing of a multicomponent media campaign aimed at increasing discussions of alcohol use during pregnancy.

Method: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs in Iowa were paired and, within each pair, were randomly assigned to a usual-care group (advice not to consume alcohol while pregnant and the opportunity to watch a 30-second television commercial about the effects of drinking during pregnancy) or intervention group (usual care plus a 10-minute videotape/DVD and a printed pamphlet. Among the 700 research participants in those outreach programs, interpersonal communication about alcohol use during pregnancy was assessed both before and after intervention, and participants were surveyed for knowledge of the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy.

Differential performance of SF-36 items in healthy adults with and without functional limitations.

Objective: To determine whether Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) items show differential item functioning among healthy adults with various types of functional limitations as compared with a healthy sample with no identified limitations.

Design: Survey responses were analyzed by using partial correlations.

Setting: General community.

Rasch calibration of physical activity self-efficacy and social support scale for persons with intellectual disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the construct validity of the Self-Efficacy/Social Support for Activity for persons with Intellectual Disability (SE/SS-AID) scales developed by Peterson, Peterson, Lowe, & Nothwehr (2009). A total of 146 participants with intellectual disabilities completed 6 self-efficacy (SE) items and 18 social support (SS) items. After applying the Rasch rating model, all SE items and 17 SS items fit the model and measured a single-construct.

Guidelines and criteria for the implementation of community-based health promotion programs for individuals with disabilities.

Health promotion programs for people with disabilities are in the early stages of development. This critical review utilizes a credentialed expert panel to develop a set of guidelines for community-based health promotion programs for individuals with disabilities. The procedures include a review of background material, systematic literature review with drafted guidelines consisting of operational, participation and accessibility recommendations.

Paths to leisure physical activity among adults with intellectual disabilities: self-efficacy and social support.

Purpose: This study tested a path model that included perceptions of social support and self-efficacy for leisure physical activity and leisure physical activity participation among adults with intellectual disabilities.

Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Data was collected via oral interview.

Physical activity among adults with intellectual disabilities living in community settings.

Objective: The aim was to objectively monitor steps accrued by a sample of adults with intellectual disabilities and to describe physical activity patterns by monitoring steps taken across weekdays, weekends, and hours of the day using time-stamped technology.

Method: This study used pedometers with time-stamped recording capabilities to measure physical activity behavior of 131 adults with mild to moderate levels of intellectual disabilities living in community-based supported living group settings in Iowa. Participants wore a pedometer for seven consecutive days.

The relationship between active living and health-related quality of life: income as a moderator.

This study used a moderator model to examine the relationship between active living and the physical components of health-related quality of life [i.e. overall physical component of quality of life (PQOL), physical functioning and ability to fulfill physical role] among a randomly selected sample of rural residents (n = 407) from the Midwestern US.