Core--Measurement

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The research projects described in this TTURC focus on the relationships between smoking behaviors and associated genetic heritability, psychological phenotypes, and socio-cultural environmental factors. In addition to assessing smoking behaviors in the United States, all three Projects will make assessments in China. The Measurement Core will provide a structure to integrate, support, and supplement these activities and to facilitate collaboration among researchers in TTURC projects. Major assessments included in the TTURC are assessments of tobacco and alcohol phenotypes, psychological dispositions, and environmental risk factors. The Measurement Core will participate in an iterative process with the center investigators to refine and identify appropriate measures relevant to their studies. In general, the Measurement Core will (1) conduct literature search to identify existing measures, monitor the research literature to stay current with new published measures, and consult with TTURC Projects on developing, pilot testing and validating new measures when no appropriate measure exists at the first year of the Research Projects, and provide necessary consultation on measures for each individual Project in the following years of research. (2) translate measures into Chinese (3) assess reliability and validity of measures in collaboration with the Statistics Core, (4) evaluate the cross-cultural equivalence of measures with assistance from the Statistics Core, (5) produce quetionnaires, survey instruments, and evaluation forms as needed by the projects, (6) add validated scales to the web-based measures bank, (7) evaluate quality of data collection procedures in China, (8) train students and staff on measurement issues. The Statistics Core will assist the Measurement Core on study design, data management, and statistical analysis.