ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0490-689X
Current Organisation
World Health Organization
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 17-06-2021
Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS)-related knowledge is an important evaluation metric for health education interventions. However, few MS knowledge assessment tools are currently available for use. This study aims to develop a reliable and valid Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge Assessment Scale (MSKAS) for use in the MS community and the general public. The MSKAS was developed using a Delphi study methodology and was administered to participants in the first open enrolment of the Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (UMS) online course. Rasch analysis was used to examine its psychometric properties and develop the final scale. Experts from across the MS community participated in the development of the MSKAS, resulting in an initial scale of 42 items. Five hundred and forty-three UMS participants completed the MSKAS 89% were female and 30% were people with MS. The final unidimensional 22-item scale has a person separation index of 2.16, a person reliability index of 0.82, an item separation index of 11.19, and a Cronbach’s alpha (kr-20) test reliability of 0.87. The MSKAS is a unidimensional scale with good construct validity and internal consistency. The MSKAS has the potential to be useful for the assessment of MS knowledge in research and clinical practice.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 16-02-2021
Abstract: While employment rates have increased in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), little is known about the longitudinal trends of work productivity. To describe the longitudinal patterns of work productivity and examine the factors associated with annual change of work productivity of PwMS. Study participants were employed participants of the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) followed from 2015 to 2019 with at least two repeated measures ( n = 2121). We used linear mixed models to examine if the within-in idual variations in MS symptoms are associated with changes in work productivity. The mean annual change in work productivity between 2015 and 2019 was −0.23% ( SD = 18.68%). Not the actual severity of symptoms but rather the changes in severity of symptoms that are associated with change in work productivity in the same year. In a multivariable model, every unit increase in mean annual change in ‘pain and sensory symptoms’, ‘feelings of anxiety and depression’, and ‘fatigue and cognitive symptoms’ were independently associated with 2.43%, 1.55% and 1.01% annual reductions in work productivity, respectively. In idual changes in work productivity are largely driven by the changes in symptom severity rather than the absolute severity. Stabilising/improving MS symptoms might improve work productivity.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 13-05-2022
DOI: 10.1177/13524585221089900
Abstract: People with multiple sclerosis face significant employment-related challenges, with little known of the drivers of these outcomes. We examined prospective trajectories of employment-related outcomes up to 11 years following a first episode of central nervous system (CNS) demyelination (FCD). Participants were aged 18–59 years, at FCD, with at least two observations and were employed at study entry or anytime during follow-up ( n = 207). Outcomes were employment status (full-time, part-time and unemployed), average workhours per week and disability support pension (DSP receiving/not receiving). We used group-based trajectory modelling to identify groups with common trajectories. Factors associated with trajectory membership were explored using log-multinomial regression. Distinct trajectories were identified for employment (4), workhours (4) and DSP (2). Compared with stable full-time, female sex was strongly associated with being in the stable part-time trajectory (risk ratio (RR): 5.35 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.56–11.20 p 0.001). A greater level of disability at 5-year review (RR: 1.35 95% CI = 1.19–1.53) and having more than two comorbidities at baseline (RR: 2.77 95% CI = 1.37–5.64) were associated with being in early and late deteriorated employment trajectories, respectively. Compared with the increased part-time trajectory, every additional relapse during the 5 years post-FCD was associated with a 10% increased risk of being in the reduced part-time trajectory (RR = 1.10 95%CI = 1.00–1.22). For every additional EDSS point at 5-year review, the risk of being in the DSP trajectory increased (RR = 1.21 95% CI = 1.05–1.41). These trajectories indicate substantial heterogeneity and the complex impact of MS on employment from its earliest timepoints. Understanding these trends could enable better targeting of interventions to facilitate workforce retention, particularly for females, those with a higher number of comorbidities, more frequent relapses and greater rate of disability accrual.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MSARD.2022.104085
Abstract: Participation in the Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) massive open online course (MOOC) significantly increases MS knowledge in both people living with MS (pwMS) and not living with MS at course completion. We also observed modest increases in health literacy, self-efficacy, and quality of life. To examine long-term participant knowledge retention over a six-month follow-up period following completion of the Understanding MS MOOC, a freely available six-week online health education intervention. We conducted pre-post analysis using paired t-tests to determine the effect of the course on MS knowledge (primary outcome), health literacy, resilience, self-efficacy, quality of life, and MS symptom severity among pwMS and not living with MS. We assessed the effect of participant characteristics on the change in MS knowledge using linear regression. Both pwMS (N=139) and not living with MS (N=164) significantly increased MS knowledge over the follow-up period. PwMS also showed increases in health literacy and self-efficacy. These increases were largely maintained from the post-course assessment. There was no effect on resilience or quality of life. The Understanding MS MOOC significantly increased MS knowledge and this knowledge was maintained six months after course completion. Our results reinforce the importance and potential impact of health education in the MS community.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 07-12-2021
DOI: 10.2196/21681
Abstract: Massive open online course (MOOC) research is an emerging field to date, most research in this area has focused on participant engagement. The aim of this study is to evaluate both participant engagement and measures of satisfaction, appropriateness, and burden for a MOOC entitled Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among a cohort of 3518 international course participants. We assessed the association of key outcomes with participant education level, MS status, caregiver status, sex, and age using summary statistics, and 2-tailed t tests, and chi-square tests. Of the 3518 study participants, 928 (26.37%) were people living with MS. Among the 2590 participants not living with MS, 862 (33.28%) identified as formal or informal caregivers. Our key findings were as follows: the course completion rate among study participants was 67.17% (2363/3518) the course was well received, with 96.97% (1502/1549) of participants satisfied, with an appropriate pitch and low burden (a mean of 2.2 hours engagement per week) people living with MS were less likely than those not living with MS to complete the course and people with a recent diagnosis of MS, caregivers, and participants without a university education were more likely to apply the material by course completion. The Understanding MS MOOC is fit for purpose it presents information in a way that is readily understood by course participants and is applicable in their lives.
Publisher: SLACK, Inc.
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.3928/24748307-20220720-01
Abstract: Online health education and other electronic health improvement strategies are developing rapidly, highlighting the growing need for valid scales to assess health literacy (HL). One comprehensive HL scale is the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), but little is known about its measurement properties in online health education cohorts. The purpose of this study was to determine if the multidimensional HLQ is an appropriate tool to measure HL in a cohort of Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) online course enrollees. Participants who enrolled in the first two open enrollments of the Understanding MS online course completed the HLQ ( N = 1,182) in an online survey prior to beginning course materials. We used Rasch analysis to assess the measurement properties of the HLQ. The nine Domains of the HLQ each had ordered category function and a good fit with the Rasch model. Each domain was one-dimensional and exhibited good internal consistency and reliability. None of the 44 in idual items of the HLQ demonstrated item bias or local dependency. However, while the overall fit was good, few measurement gaps were identified in this cohort for participants in each of the nine Domains, meaning that the HLQ may have low measurement precision in some participants. Our analysis of the HLQ indicated acceptable measurement properties in a cohort of Understanding MS online course enrollees. Although reliable information on nine separate constructs of HL was obtainable in the current study indicating that the HLQ can be used in similar cohorts, its limitations must be also considered. [ HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice . 2022 (3):e200–e212. ] In this study, we have shown that the HLQ is suitable for measuring HL in an online public health educational platforms for chronic diseases including multiple sclerosis. This finding adds to the evidence that the HLQ can be widely used in measuring HL in different settings, populations, and health educational platforms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MSARD.2022.103717
Abstract: Little is known about the impact of online health education on multiple sclerosis (MS)-related knowledge and other health outcomes in the MS community. To estimate the impact of participating in a massive open online course (MOOC) about MS on course completer MS-related knowledge, health literacy (HL), self-efficacy, resilience, quality of life, and MS symptom severity. In this cohort study, using a single group pre-test ost-test design (n=560), we examined the effects of MOOC participation on MS-related knowledge and other outcomes using a paired t-test. We used regression and structural equation modelling to examine the association between participant characteristics, changes in other outcomes, and changes in MS-related knowledge. We found significant increases in MS-related knowledge for people living with MS (PwMS) (+2.13 points, p<0.001) and those without MS (+5.16 points, p<0.001), with larger effect sizes for those with higher educational levels. Among PwMS, there were also significant increases in seven HL subscales and self-efficacy, but no increase in resilience, MS symptoms severity or quality of life. Among people without MS, there were increases in two HL subscales and quality of life, but no increase in resilience or self-efficacy. Changes in MS-related knowledge were not associated with sex or changes in other study outcomes. There was a significant increase in MS-related knowledge, which was unrelated to the changes in the other study outcomes, both for PwMS and for those not living with MS. Outcome-specific health educational interventions may be needed to effect change in other health outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2016
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-06-2022
DOI: 10.1177/13524585221097573
Abstract: A comprehensive understanding of factors associated with multiple sclerosis (MS)-related work productivity loss will inform targeted interventions. We have previously shown the strong impact of symptom severity on MS-related work productivity loss. However, the effect of work difficulties, work self-efficacy and work psychological safety is yet to be well evaluated in this context. This study evaluates the association between work difficulties, work self-efficacy and work psychological safety, and MS-related presenteeism, absenteeism and total work productivity loss. We analysed data from employed participants of the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) who took part in both the 2015 Medication and Disease Course survey, and 2015 Employment survey ( n = 744). Data were analysed using Cragg Hurdle regression models. We found that low workplace self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties at work and work self-efficacy were associated with total work productivity loss. In a multivariable model, a 10-unit decrease in workplace self-esteem, increase in interpersonal difficulties at work and 5-unit increase in work self-efficacy were independently associated with a 3.75% increase, 2.89% increase and 3.36% reduction in total work productivity loss, respectively. When separating total work productivity loss in presenteeism and absenteeism, stronger effects were seen for presenteeism than absenteeism. Surprisingly, work psychological safety was not associated with MS-related work productivity loss. Work psychosocial well-being such as self-confidence at work, work self-efficacy and interpersonal difficulties at work are crucial factors governing work productivity in people with MS (PwMS). Multidisciplinary support team assistance of PwMS in symptom self-care, skills around effective communication about MS in the workplace, the psychological impact of work and the modification of work demands may positively influence the employment outcomes.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 23-06-2020
Abstract: assive open online course (MOOC) research is an emerging field to date, most research in this area has focused on participant engagement. he aim of this study is to evaluate both participant engagement and measures of satisfaction, appropriateness, and burden for a MOOC entitled Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among a cohort of 3518 international course participants. e assessed the association of key outcomes with participant education level, MS status, caregiver status, sex, and age using summary statistics, and 2-tailed i t /i tests, and chi-square tests. f the 3518 study participants, 928 (26.37%) were people living with MS. Among the 2590 participants not living with MS, 862 (33.28%) identified as formal or informal caregivers. Our key findings were as follows: the course completion rate among study participants was 67.17% (2363/3518) the course was well received, with 96.97% (1502/1549) of participants satisfied, with an appropriate pitch and low burden (a mean of 2.2 hours engagement per week) people living with MS were less likely than those not living with MS to complete the course and people with a recent diagnosis of MS, caregivers, and participants without a university education were more likely to apply the material by course completion. he Understanding MS MOOC is fit for purpose it presents information in a way that is readily understood by course participants and is applicable in their lives.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Barnabas Bessing.