The Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire: Corrected Computational Procedures for the Alertness Factor
Abstract
the incidence and severity of symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) can be systematically assessed with Environment Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ), an instrument developed specifically for this purpose. The ESQ can also be used to evaluate symptoms resulting from exposure to other climatic and physical conditions. ESQ data have been factor-analyzed into nine distinct factor scores representing symptom clusters; Cerebral AMS, Respiratory AMS, Ear/ Nose/Throat, cold Stress, Distress, Alertness, Exertion Stress, Muscular Discomfort, and Fatigue. These factor scores were originally computed so as to fall within the scale range of 0 to 5 ( not at all to extreme). Each factor score could thus produce interval-like values for parametric analysis. Using the scoring procedures outlined in the original paper, we found that the alertness scores could assume negative values. Since these scores were not within the original scale range (0 to 5), they were not valid. In addition, the alertness factor could never attain a score of 5 (indicative of maximum alertness); this minimized the subjects' alertness scores and made them incomparable to the other factor scores. Thus, this paper describes a corrected procedure for calculating scores for alertness which do fall within the scale range and which are behaviorally more accurate. Keywords: Altitude sickness, Stress (Physiology), Exposure (Physiology).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA206142
Entities
People
- Barbara L. Shukitt
- James B. Sampson
- Louis E. Banderet
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine