Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Mar 16:6:7.
doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-6-7.

Measuring changes in self-concept: a qualitative evaluation of outcome questionnaires in people having acupuncture for their chronic health problems

Charlotte Paterson  1
Affiliations

Measuring changes in self-concept: a qualitative evaluation of outcome questionnaires in people having acupuncture for their chronic health problems

Charlotte Paterson. BMC Complement Altern Med. .

Abstract

Background: Changes in self-concept are an important potential outcome for many interventions for people with long-term conditions. This study sought to identify and evaluate outcome questionnaires suitable for quantifying changes in self-concept in people with long-term conditions, in the context of treatment with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Methods: A literature search was followed by an evaluation of three questionnaires: The Wellbeing Questionnaire W-BQ12, the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI), and the Arizona Integrative Outcome Scale (AIOS). A convenience sample of 23 people completed the questionnaires on two occasions and were interviewed about their experience and their questionnaire responses. All acupuncturists were interviewed.

Results: Changes in self-concept were common and emerged over time. The three questionnaires had different strengths and weaknesses in relation to measuring changes in self-concept. The generic AIOS had face validity and was sensitive to changes in self-concept over time, but it lacked specificity. The PEI was sensitive and specific in measuring these changes but had lower acceptability. The sensitivity of the W-BQ12 was affected by initial high scores (ceiling effect) and a shorter timescale but was acceptable and is suitable for repeated administration. The PEI and W-BQ12 questionnaires worked well in combination.

Conclusion: Changes in self-concept are important outcomes of complex interventions for people with long-term illness and their measurement requires carefully evaluated tools and long-term follow-up. The literature review and the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the questionnaires is a resource for other researchers. The W-BQ12 and the PEI both proved useful for this population and a larger quantitative study is planned.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Literature review: sources and search terms.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Examples of changes in self-concept. [Questionnaire scores provided as weeks after start of acupuncture and as a positive score = improvement]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Campbell M, Fitzpatrick R, Haines A, Kinmouth AL, Sandercock P, Spiegelhalter D, Tyrer P. Framework for design and evaluation of complex interventions to improve health. BMJ. 2000;321:694–696. doi: 10.1136/bmj.321.7262.694. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cassidy C. Chinese Medicine users in the United States. Part II: preferred aspects of care. J Altern Complement Med. 1998;4:189–202. - PubMed
    1. Paterson C, Britten N. Acupuncture for people with chronic illness: combining qualitative and quantitative outcome assessment. J Altern Complement Med. 2003;5:671–681. doi: 10.1089/107555303322524526. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gould A, MacPherson H. Patient perspectives on outcomes after treatment with acupuncture. J Altern Complement Med. 2001;7:261–268. doi: 10.1089/107555301300328133. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bury M. The sociology of chronic illness: a review of research and prospects. Sociology of Health and Illness. 1991;13:451–468. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.ep11343677. - DOI

Publication types