Meta-analysis of Monte Carlo simulations examining class enumeration accuracy with mixture models.

This article walks through steps to conduct a meta-analysis of Monte Carlo simulation studies. The selected Monte Carlo simulation studies focused on mixture modeling, which is becoming increasingly popular in the social and behavioral sciences. We provide details for the following steps in a meta-analysis: (a) formulating a research question; (b) identifying the relevant literature; (c) screening of the literature; (d) extracting data; (e) analyzing the data; and (f) interpreting and discussing the findings.

A narrative review of the well-being and burnout of U.S. community pharmacists.

Objectives: The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the literature on well-being and burnout among community pharmacists in the U.S. and provide recommendations for future research.

The Role of Student Beliefs in Dual-Enrollment Courses.

Unlabelled: Access to dual-enrollment courses, which allow high school students to earn college credit, is stratified by race/ethnicity, class, and geography. States and colleges have begun using of readiness, including measures of student preparedness, in lieu of strict reliance on test scores in an attempt to expand and equalize access. This practice was accelerated by COVID-19 due to disruptions in standardized testing.

Flow with an intelligent tutor: A latent variable modeling approach to tracking flow during artificial tutoring.

Increasing use of intelligent tutoring systems in education calls for analytic methods that can unravel students' learning behaviors. In this study, we explore a latent variable modeling approach for tracking learning flow during computer-interactive artificial tutoring. The study considers three models that give discrete profiles of a latent process: the (i) latent class model, (ii) latent transition model, and (iii) hidden Markov model.

Distinct racial and ethnic metabolic syndrome characteristics: A comparative assessment in low-income children 7-10 years of age.

Background: Pediatric MetS prevalence varies due to lack of consensus on evaluative criteria and associated thresholds, with most not recommending a diagnosis <10 years. However, MetS risk components are becoming evident earlier in life and affect races and ethnicities disproportionately.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of MetS based on existing definitions and elucidate racial- and ethnic-specific characteristics associated with MetS prevalence.

Preliminary Findings of the Links Between Gender Role Attitudes and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Early Adolescent Boys.

This study explored the relations between Latino gender role attitudes (traditional machismo attitudes and caballerismo attitudes) and sexual behaviors among 242 Mexican American early adolescent boys in the southwest United States. Specifically, a multiple mediator model estimated the association between gender role attitudes and sexual activity through a mediational pathway connecting substance use, sexual motives, and peer influence. Results from analyzing this structural equation model indicated that traditional machismo attitudes were not associated with sexual behaviors.

The Performance of Multivariate Methods for Two-Group Comparisons with Small Samples and Incomplete Data.

In intervention studies having multiple outcomes, researchers often use a series of univariate tests (e.g., ANOVAs) to assess group mean differences.

The Comparison of Latent Variable Propensity Score Models to Traditional Propensity Score Models under Conditions of Covariate Unreliability.

Propensity score (PS) methods are implemented by researchers to balance the differences between participants in control and treatment groups that exist in observational studies using a set of baseline covariates. Propensity scores are most commonly calculated using baseline covariates in a logistic regression model to predict the binary grouping variable (control versus treatment). Low reliability associated with the covariates can adversely impact the calculation of treatment effects in propensity score models.

Familial ethnic socialization, gender role attitudes, and ethnic identity development in Mexican-origin early adolescents.

Objectives: This study examined the relations between familial ethnic socialization and ethnic identity development in 438 Mexican-origin (n = 242 boys and n = 196 girls) preadolescents. In addition, machismo and marianismo gender role attitudes were examined as potential mediators in this link.

Method: Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the Familial Ethnic Socialization Scale (FES), Machismo Measure (MM), Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS), and the Ethnic Identity Brief Scale (EISB) were conducted to test the factor structure with a preadolescent Mexican-origin sample.

Examining the Factor Structure of the Self-Compassion Scale in Four Distinct Populations: Is the Use of a Total Scale Score Justified?

This study examined the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) using a bifactor model, a higher order model, a 6-factor correlated model, a 2-factor correlated model, and a 1-factor model in 4 distinct populations: college undergraduates (N = 222), community adults (N = 1,394), individuals practicing Buddhist meditation (N = 215), and a clinical sample of individuals with a history of recurrent depression (N = 390). The 6-factor correlated model demonstrated the best fit across samples, whereas the 1- and 2-factor models had poor fit. The higher order model also showed relatively poor fit across samples, suggesting it is not representative of the relationship between subscale factors and a general self-compassion factor.

Perceived Discrimination, Peer Influence and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Preadolescents.

Both discrimination and sexual health disparities have significant negative health implications for Latina/o preadolescent youth, including negative mental health outcomes, STIs/HIV, unintended pregnancy, and ongoing poverty. Studying these links within this population, therefore, has significant public health relevance, both in terms of promoting sexual health in general as well as serving the specific needs of Latina/o youth. This study explored the relationship between perceived discrimination, peer influence and sexual behaviors among 438 Mexican American preadolescents in the Southwest United States (55.

Perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls: The role of psychological distress, sexual attitudes, and marianismo beliefs.

Objectives: This study explored the relation between perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors among 205 Mexican American preadolescent middle school girls. In addition, this study examined whether psychological distress and sexual attitudes mediated and whether marianismo beliefs moderated this relation.

Method: A categorical confirmatory factor analysis (CCFA) of the Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS) was conducted to test the factor structure with a preadolescent Mexican American population (ages 11-14).

Dyadic Curve-of-Factors Model: An Introduction and Illustration of a Model for Longitudinal Non-Exchangeable Dyadic Data.

The analysis of longitudinal data collected from non-exchangeable dyads presents a challenge for applied researchers for various reasons. This paper introduces the Dyadic Curve-of-Factors Model (D-COFM) which extends the Curve-of-Factors Model (COFM) proposed by McArdle (1988) for use with non-exchangeable dyadic data. The D-COFM overcomes problems with modeling composite scores across time and instead permits examination of the growth in latent constructs over time.

Latent growth modeling with domain-specific outcomes comprised of mixed response types in intervention studies.

Objective: When several continuous outcome measures of interest are collected across time in experimental studies, the use of standard statistical procedures, such as multivariate analysis of variance or growth curve modeling, can be properly used to assess treatment effects. However, when data consist of mixed responses (e.g.

Interaction of duration of homelessness and gender on adolescent sexual health indicators.

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of duration of homelessness and gender on personal and social resources, cognitive-perceptual factors, and sexual health behaviors among homeless youth.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline from 461 homeless adolescents who participated in a sexual health intervention study was done.

Method: Data were collected via laptop computers from homeless adolescents (mean age=19.

A Monte Carlo study of the impact of missing data and differential item functioning on theta estimates from two polytomous Rasch family models.

This paper examines the impact of differential item functioning (DIF), missing item values, and different methods for handling missing item values on theta estimates with data simulated from the partial credit model and Andrich's rating scale model. Both Rasch family models are commonly used when obtaining an estimate of a respondent's attitude. The degree of missing data, DIF magnitude, and the percentage of DIF items were varied in MCAR data conditions in which the focal group was 10% of the total population.

The Performance of Cross-Validation Indices Used to Select Among Competing Covariance Structure Models Under Multivariate Nonnormality Conditions.

Cudeck and Browne (1983) proposed using cross-validation as a model selection technique in structural equation modeling. The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of eight cross-validation indices under conditions not yet examined in the relevant literature, such as nonnormality and cross-validation design. The performance of each cross-validation index was measured in terms of true model selection rate as well as consistency of model selection.

Sexual health risks and protective resources in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual homeless youth.

Issues And Purpose: To compare sexual health risks and protective resources of homeless adolescents self-identified as gay (G), lesbian (L), or bisexual (B), with those self-identified as heterosexual, and to determine the differences between these two groups and the differences within the GLB group.

Design And Methods: A secondary analysis of survey data collected from a nonprobability sample of 425 homeless adolescents between 16 and 20 years of age.

Results: Sexual health risks and protective resources differed between those self-identified as GLB and those self-identified as heterosexual.

A Comparison of Methods to Test for Mediation in Multisite Experiments.

A Monte Carlo study extended the research of MacKinnon, Lockwood, Hoffman, West, and Sheets (2002) for single-level designs by examining the statistical performance of four methods to test for mediation in a multilevel experimental design. The design studied was a two-group experiment that was replicated across several sites, included a single intervening variable and outcome, and assumed that the effects of the treatment and mediator were constant across sites. The findings provide new evidence of the benefits of and further support for using the asymmetric confidence limits approach to test for mediation.