Development and psychometric properties of the Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire - Short Form

How are medical students learning to care for patients with intellectual disabilities? A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience barriers to quality healthcare. To reduce this disparity, equipping medical trainees with the knowledge and skills required for treating this patient population is critical. Our aim is to describe the breadth of instructional interventions and identify gaps in intellectual disability medical education curricula.

METHOD

Using scoping review methods, the intellectual disability programmes described in 27 articles were evaluated and their coverage of the six core competencies on disability for health care education was examined.

RESULTS

The most frequently represented core competencies were disability conceptual frameworks, professionalism and communication, and clinical assessment, which were, in most programmes, fulfilled by activities involving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Uneven competency coverage warrants consideration.

CONCLUSIONS

Considerable variabilities exist in medical school curricula on intellectual disabilities. Using core competencies on disability for health care education for curricular design and evaluation would provide a coherent training experience in this important area.

Profiles of Peer-Rejected Individuals: Their Attitudes toward the Intellectual Disability Population and the Mediating Role of Resilience

Literature shows that public perceptions toward people with intellectual disability (ID) tend to be negative, perhaps more so than toward any other population with disabilities, causing severe consequences on the quality of life of these people. Understanding factors associated with these attitudes may contribute to better integration of the ID population into society. This study focuses on the predictive role of school-age peer rejection and contemporaneous familial support on attitudes toward people with ID. Specifically, it aims to identify distinct profiles of people who experienced peer rejection during their school years and who experienced various levels of familial support during the rejection period, and to examine the disparities between these profiles regarding attitudes toward people with ID. An additional goal is to examine whether resilience can mediate the association between profiles of peer-rejected individuals and their attitudes toward individuals with ID. The research sample comprised 1063 Israeli adults reporting various levels of peer rejection during school years. Cluster analysis revealed two profiles of peer-rejected individuals that significantly differ in the level of familial support provided in the face of peer rejection. In accordance with the hypotheses, attitudes of peer-rejected individuals with poor familial support were more negative than those with high familial support and the mediating effect of resilience was significant. Findings emphasize the protective role of familial support in the face of peer rejection, contributing to the emerging literature that deals with the long-term effects of peer rejection and poor resiliency resources on negative attitudes toward out-groups.

Validation of the Persian version of the attitudes toward intellectual disability

BACKGROUND

Attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are the most important factor affecting their social integration and can cause them to experience a sense of achievement or discrimination. The present study aimed to evaluate the latent factor structure and validity of the Persian version of the Attitudes toward Intellectual Disability (ATTID) Short-Form questionnaire.

METHODS

The latent factor structure of the Persian version of the ATTID Short-Form was established in a convenient sample of the general population (N = 280) in Iran. The structural validity and temporal reliability, internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis were evaluated. Data analysis was done with SPSS v23 Windows edition and R v4.2.1.

RESULTS

The Persian version of the ATTID Short-Form was shown to have a five-factor structure: discomfort, knowledge of capacity, interaction, sensitivity and knowledge of cause. The structure was appropriately fit according to the fit indices (χ2(485) = 530.12), (P-value = 0.077). All the subscales had good temporal reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that the Persian version of the Short-Form of ATTID is a brief, valid and reliable measure that can be used in research and clinical practice.

Psychometric properties of the Beliefs About Adults with ID Scale in American physicians: Application of classical test and Rasch measurement theories

BACKGROUND

Physicians' erroneous assumptions about individuals with intellectual disability (ID) negatively impact the quality of care provided to this population. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Beliefs About Adults with ID (BAID), an instrument we developed for measuring physicians' erroneous assumptions about adults with ID.

METHODS

Two hundred ninety-two American physicians participated. Classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory were used to refine the scale (through item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, infit and outfit mean-squares statistics, and differential item functioning) and investigate its psychometric properties (functioning of the response scale, reliability, and validity).

RESULTS

The BAID provided a unidimensional, reliable, valid, and precise measure in assessing high levels of erroneous assumptions. It showed convergent and divergent validity with the different factors of a scale measuring attitudes towards ID. The BAID items were discriminant, non-redundant, unambiguous, and invariant across gender and previous ID training. The BAID response scale was found to be appropriate for measuring physicians' erroneous assumptions about adults with ID.

CONCLUSIONS

BAID is a brief instrument with good psychometric properties to assess erroneous assumptions about adults with ID in physicians of different genders and who have/have not previously received ID training. Therefore, it might be helpful for research and medical education purposes.

The effect of an e-intervention on intellectual disability stigma among Nigerian and Kenyan internet users: a comparative randomised controlled trial

Introduction

The negative consequences of stigma for the wellbeing of people with disabilities have raised public and global health concerns. This study assessed the impact of an e-intervention to reduce intellectual disability (ID) stigma among Nigerian and Kenyan internet-users.

Method

Participants aged 18+ and citizens of Nigeria and Kenya were recruited through online advertising. Qualtrics, a web survey platform, randomly assigned (1:1) participants to watch either a short experimental or control film, while masked to their assignment. The experimental film featured education about ID and indirect contact. The control film was on an unrelated topic. Their attitudes were measured on three dimensions (affect, cognitions and behaviour) at three time points (baseline, post intervention and one-month follow-up). Between October 2016 and April 2017, 933 participants were randomised, 469 to the experimental condition and 464 to the control condition. Of these, 827 (89%) provided pre-and post-intervention data but only 287 (31%) were retained at follow-up.

Results

An intent-to-treat analysis revealed that participants in the experimental but not the control condition showed a positive shift in their attitudes towards people with ID over time. Their willingness to interact with people with ID increased post-intervention.

Discussion

A brief intervention that integrates education and indirect contact can make an effective contribution to efforts to reduce stigma faced by people with ID in Africa. Trial registered with the ISRCTN trial registry (number ISRCTN92574712).

Factors associated with workers' attitudes towards employment of persons with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Persons with intellectual disabilities have the right to pursue and acquire gainful employment and thereby obtain the psychological, social and economic benefits derived from employment.

AIMS

This study aimed to examine workers' attitudes towards and perspectives with respect to the challenges of employing persons with intellectual disabilities.

METHOD

The sample was composed of 168 persons (60% male). Participants responded to a questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards working with persons with intellectual disabilities (ATWQ) and a challenges questionnaire (CHQ).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

This study found that familiarity (frequency of contact) and having a previous work experience with someone with an intellectual disability were positively associated with workers' attitudes towards employing persons with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, owners and supervisors were more reluctant to accept the practice of employing persons with intellectual disabilities than were employees. No differences were found by gender. Implications based on the findings are discussed herein.

Attitudes Toward People With Intellectual Disability Associated With Integrated Sport Participation

Direct, meaningful contact with people with intellectual disability, such as through integrated sport, may be related to positive attitudes. The current study aimed to compare implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious) attitudes between adults involved in integrated sport events and those in a comparison group who were not and examine the association between attitudes and degree of integrated sport involvement. An online survey measuring attitudes was completed by 295 adults without intellectual disability who participated in integrated sport activities and 450 adults who did not. Individuals involved in integrated sport reported less negative behavioral and affective attitudes relative to the comparison group, with mixed results for cognitive attitudes. Groups did not differ on implicit attitudes. Greater integrated sport involvement was related to some aspects of explicit attitudes. Involvement in integrated sport may be linked to how participants view intellectual disability, which has important implications for enhancing social inclusion and informing positive attitudes.