The study aimed to develop and validate a food literacy tool for Tanzanian adults. The Tanzanian nutrition, food, and health promotion experts evaluated the initial 23-question food literacy tool for its relevance to the context, where its content validity was determined. The construct validity involved the analysis of food literacy information collected in a cross-sectional study involving 709 adults (484 females and 225 males) sampled from rural and urban Tanzania. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to explore the underlying factor structure and identify the number of latent constructs. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modeling (SEM) verified the measurement model and confirmed the theoretical model’s validity and reliability. The descriptive statistics summarized the essential characteristics of the study sample. The final tool remained with 14 questions after removing questions with low factor loadings <0.5 and higher uniqueness above 0.60. The model achieved construct validity through convergent and discriminant validity and construct reliability through the composite reliability exceeding 0.60 and a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.83 and above. The 14-question food literacy tool has been reviewed and evaluated by experts in food, nutrition, and public health; therefore, it is a valid measure of food literacy among adults in Tanzania. It is suitable for designing nutrition education programs and ensures accurate and reliable measurements for effective interventions and policy actions.

In recent years, organizational factors such as infection prevention climate have been recognized as important factors of healthcare workers’ adherence to infection prevention practices. However, there is a lack of instruments with good reliability and validity to measure infection prevention climate within organizations in Chinese context. Therefore, this study aims to translate, culturally adaptation and test for the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Leading a Culture of Quality for Infection Prevention (CLCQ-IP). The original scale was translated into Chinese through 1) Forward translation; 2) Expert review; 3) Back translation; 4) Applicability evaluation. Then, a multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted using the CLCQ-IP. Reliability in terms of internal consistency was evaluated. The content validity, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, were tested for assessing the construct validity of the CLCQ-IP. After linguistic and cultural adaptation, the CLCQ-IP was finally formed with 19 items in 4 dimensions and a total 882 HCWs from 4 provinces finished the survey. The overall Cronbach’s alpha of the CLCQ-IP was 0.865. The items of content validity index, ICVI of the C-SPQ ranged from 0.875 to 1.00, and the scale of content validity index S-CVI/AVE was 0.894. In terms of construct validity, the exploratory factor analysis extracted a total of 4 factors, which were consistent with the original scale. The factor loadings of each item were above 0.70, and the cumulative variance contribution to the scale was 71.88 %. The Confirmatory factor analysis showed the good model indicators: x"/df =1.508, RMSEA=0.41, GFI=0.934, AGFI=0.912, NFI=0.953, TLI=0.981, CFI=0.984. The results of the study show empirical evidence of validity and reliability of CLCQ-IP can be highly recommended to be widely used among Chinses HCWs.

Many language assessments – particularly those considered high-stakes – have the potential to significantly impact a person’s educational, employment and social opportunities, and should therefore be subject to ethical and regulatory considerations regarding their use of artificial intelligence (AI) in test design, development, delivery, and scoring. It is timely and crucial that the community of language assessment practitioners develop a comprehensive set of principles that can ensure ethical practices in their domain of practice as part of a commitment to relational accountability. In this chapter, we contextualize the debate on ethical AI in L2 assessment within global policy documents, and identify a comprehensive set of principles and considerations which pave the way for a shared discourse to underpin an ethical approach to the use of AI in language assessment. Critically, we advocate for an “ethical-by-design” approach in language assessment that promotes core ethical values, balances inherent tensions, mitigates associated risks, and promotes ethical practices.

The study aimed to translate the Eating-Related Eco-Concern (EREC) questionnaire into Turkish, adapt it cross-culturally, and evaluate its psychometric properties. EREC is a ten-item scale measuring how adults consider ecological impact in food choices due to climate change concerns. The study was conducted in Mersin between November 2023 and February 2024 with 442 adults (18–65 years) through face-to-face interviews. The Turkish version was adapted using the Translation–Back Translation method, and language validity was ensured. Face validity was evaluated through a pilot study with forty participants. Construct validity was initially assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with data from 200 participants, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted on an independent sample of 242 participants to verify the factor structure. The reliability of the scale was assessed by test-retest analysis with 106 participants from the main sample (n 442), and consistency was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The factor structure and model fit were evaluated using indices such as Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). 68·3 % of the participants were female, whereas 31·7 % were male. The group’s median BMI value was 24·3 (21·6–27·1), with 52·9 % classified as ‘normal’ according to the BMI classification. Factor 2 had a low score, but it was found to be adequate for other factors and the total scale score. The Turkish adaptation of the EREC questionnaire has been found to be a valid and reliable scale, as confirmed by comprehensive evaluations.

Understanding consumers’ food wasting behaviours is crucial to reducing food waste. This study aimed to adapt the Food Wasting Behaviours Questionnaire (FWBQ) to Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 421 adults, preceded by a pilot study with thirty individuals to assess the intelligibility of the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on a subsample of 219 participants, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on an independent subsample of 202 participants. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (CA), and test-retest reliability was evaluated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in a separate group of 100 participants. As a result of EFA, a six-factor structure emerged – diverging from the original five-factor model of the FWBQ – indicating that in the Turkish context, planning meals and planning shopping behaviours formed distinct dimensions. Three items with low factor loadings (< 0·30) were excluded, and the final version included twenty-seven items with a total explained variance of 57·3 %. CFA confirmed good model fit, and internal consistency was strong (CA = 0·700 to 0·924). Test-retest reliability was also high (ICC = 0·787 to 0·896). In conclusion, the Turkish version of the FWBQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing a wide range of food wasting behaviours. The emergence of a sixth factor highlights the importance of cultural context in shaping food management routines and has implications for cross-cultural comparisons and future adaptations.

We in this paper employ a penalized moment selection procedure to identify valid and relevant moments for estimating and testing forecast rationality within the flexible loss framework proposed by Elliott et al. (2005). We motivate the selection of moments in a high-dimensional setting, outlining the fundamental mechanism of the penalized moment selection procedure and demonstrating its implementation in the context of forecast rationality, particularly in the presence of potentially invalid moment conditions. The selection consistency and asymptotic normality are established under conditions specifically tailored to economic forecasting. Through a series of Monte Carlo simulations, we evaluate the finite sample performance of penalized moment estimation in utilizing available instrument information effectively within both estimation and testing procedures. Additionally, we present an empirical analysis using data from the Survey of Professional Forecasters issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia to illustrate the practical utility of the suggested methodology. The results indicate that the proposed post-selection estimator for forecaster’s attitude performs comparably to the oracle estimator by efficiently incorporating available information. The power of rationality and symmetry tests leveraging penalized moment estimation is substantially enhanced by minimizing the impact of uninformative instruments. For practitioners assessing the rationality of externally generated forecasts, such as those in the Greenbook, the proposed penalized moment selection procedure could offer a robust approach to achieve more efficient estimation outcomes.

The older population is increasing. As age increases, many changes occur in individuals’ lives, physically, socially, psychologically, and this situation varies from individual to individual. The uncertainty about how this period will pass can cause anxiety in individuals. Therefore, valid and reliable tools are needed to investigate ageing anxiety and potential factors that increase this anxiety, especially in the ageing population. This article presents the results of a Turkish validity and reliability study of the Aging Anxiety Scale for Middle-Aged Adults. The study sample consisted of 293 middle-aged adults. Content validity, face validity and construct validity methods were applied to measure validity. Item analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest methods were used to measure internal consistency in the reliability analysis. The content validity index of the Aging Anxiety Scale for Middle-Aged Adults was found to be 0.97 based on expert opinion. Model fit indices were calculated as χ2 = 473.583, df = 275, χ2/df = 1.722, CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.89, IFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.05, RMR = 0.06 and SRMR = 0.05. The analysis results indicated that the scale model values were within accepted limits and that the 5-sub-factor and 26-item structure of the scale was confirmed. It was concluded that the Turkish version of the Aging Anxiety Scale for Middle-Aged Adults was a valid and reliable measurement tool to enable Turkish society to determine middle-aged individuals’ ageing concerns.

This methodological synthesis surveys study and instrument quality in L2 pronunciation research by scrutinizing methodological practices in designing and employing scales and rubrics that measure accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility. A comprehensive coding scheme was developed, and searches were conducted in several databases. A total of 380 articles (409 samples) that employed 576 target instruments and appeared in peer-reviewed journals from 1977 to 2023 were synthesized. Results demonstrated, among other findings, strengths in reporting several listener and speaker characteristics. Areas in need of improvement include (a) more thorough evaluation and reporting of interrater reliability and instrument validity and (b) greater adherence to methodological transparency and open science practices. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for researchers and researcher trainers; by raising awareness of methodological and ethical challenges in psychometric research on L2 speech perception; and by providing recommendations for advancing the quality of instruments in this domain.

One of the most significant challenges in research related to nutritional epidemiology is the achievement of high accuracy and validity of dietary data to establish an adequate link between dietary exposure and health outcomes. Recently, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in various fields has filled this gap with advanced statistical models and techniques for nutrient and food analysis. We aimed to systematically review available evidence regarding the validity and accuracy of AI-based dietary intake assessment methods (AI-DIA). In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, an exhaustive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify relevant publications from their inception to 1 December 2024. Thirteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this analysis. Of the studies identified, 61·5 % were conducted in preclinical settings. Likewise, 46·2 % used AI techniques based on deep learning and 15·3 % on machine learning. Correlation coefficients of over 0·7 were reported in six articles concerning the estimation of calories between the AI and traditional assessment methods. Similarly, six studies obtained a correlation above 0·7 for macronutrients. In the case of micronutrients, four studies achieved the correlation mentioned above. A moderate risk of bias was observed in 61·5 % (n 8) of the articles analysed, with confounding bias being the most frequently observed. AI-DIA methods are promising, reliable and valid alternatives for nutrient and food estimations. However, more research comparing different populations is needed, as well as larger sample sizes, to ensure the validity of the experimental designs.

A prominent paradigm demonstrates many White Americans respond negatively to information on their declining population share. But this paradigm considers this “racial shift” in a single hierarchy-challenging context that produces similar status threat responses across conceptually distinct outcomes, undercutting the ability to both explain the causes of Whites’ social and political responses and advance theorizing about native majorities’ responses to demographic change. We test whether evidence for Whites’ responses to demographic change varies across three distinct hierarchy-challenging contexts: society at large, culture, and politics. We find little evidence any racial shift information instills status threat or otherwise changes attitudes or behavioral intentions, and do not replicate evidence for reactions diverging by left- versus right-wing political attachments. We conclude with what our well-powered (n = 2100) results suggest about a paradigm and intervention used prominently, with results cited frequently, to understand native majorities’ responses to demographic change and potential challenges to multiracial democracy.

Systematic searches of published literature are a vital component of systematic reviews. When search strings are not “sensitive,” they may miss many relevant studies limiting, or even biasing, the range of evidence available for synthesis. Concerningly, conducting and reporting evaluations (validations) of the sensitivity of the used search strings is rare, according to our survey of published systematic reviews and protocols. Potential reasons may involve a lack of familiarity or inaccessibility of complex sensitivity evaluation approaches. We first clarify the main concepts and principles of search string evaluation. We then present a simple procedure for estimating a relative recall of a search string. It is based on a pre-defined set of “benchmark” publications. The relative recall, that is, the sensitivity of the search string, is the retrieval overlap between the evaluated search string and a search string that captures only the benchmark publications. If there is little overlap (i.e., low recall or sensitivity), the evaluated search string should be improved to ensure that most of the relevant literature can be captured. The presented benchmarking approach can be applied to one or more online databases or search platforms. It is illustrated by five accessible, hands-on tutorials for commonly used online literature sources. Overall, our work provides an assessment of the current state of search string evaluations in published systematic reviews and protocols. It also paves the way to improve evaluation and reporting practices to make evidence synthesis more transparent and robust.

Trust in the validity of published work is of fundamental importance to scientists. Confirmation of validity is more readily attained than addressing the question of whether fraud was involved. Suggestions are made for key stakeholders - institutions and companies, journals, and funders as to how they might enhance trust in science, both by accelerating the assessment of data validity and by segregating that effort from investigation of allegations of fraud.