Czycholl I, Beilage E Grosse, Henning C, Krieter J
J Anim Sci. 2017 Aug;95(8):3445-3454. doi: 10.2527/jas.2017.1525.
Positive emotions constitute a very important part of animal welfare. They are, however, also the most challenging elements to be objectively measured. Due to its feasibility, the qualitative behavior assessment (QBA) is included in the Welfare Quality Assessment protocol for growing pigs as the animal-based measurement tool for positive emotions. Reliability testing on the QBA in the form as included in the protocols is, however, rare. Therefore, the present study aimed at the evaluation of the inter- and intraobserver as well as test-retest reliability of the QBA in growing pigs. This was done by trained observers based on 19 joint on-farm assessments, the repeated assessments of 24 farms during 2 growing periods, and 107 video sequences. The results were compared between the observers and the repeated farm visits. Therefore, millimeter values were directly compared by calculation of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (RS), and furthermore, the results were subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA). The results identified 2 main principal components (PC; PC1 and PC2) together explaining from 42 to 75% of the variation in the recorded variables of the different PCA. The factor loadings that the adjectives reached on PC1 and PC2 were compared by calculation of RS between observers and farm visits, respectively. Reliability was interpreted as acceptable if at least a moderate correlation was detected; that is, RS was greater than or equal to 0.4. Regarding the on-farm assessments, and, therefore, under practical conditions, no sufficient interobserver reliability (RS = -0.16 for PC1 and RS = 0.13 for PC2) was found. In terms of the test-retest reliability, only 1 comparison of 2 farm visits showed a positive correlation for PC1 (RS = 0.79) as well as for PC2 (RS = 0.64). The other 5 comparisons presented negative to weak positive correlations. However, based on video sequences, good interobserver (RS = 0.67 for PC1 and RS = 0.60 for PC2) and intraobserver (RS = 0.94 for PC1 and RS = 0.44 for PC2) reliability was achieved. Therefore, the present study revealed good reliability for the QBA in the form as it is currently included in the Welfare Quality Assessment protocol for growing pigs based on video sequences but insufficient reliability for the application on the farm.
积极情绪是动物福利的一个非常重要的组成部分。然而，它们也是最难客观衡量的因素。由于其可行性，定性行为评估（QBA）被纳入生长猪福利质量评估协议，作为基于动物的积极情绪测量工具。然而，对协议中所包含形式的QBA进行可靠性测试的情况很少见。因此，本研究旨在评估生长猪QBA的观察者间、观察者内以及重测可靠性。这是由经过培训的观察者通过19次联合农场评估、在2个生长阶段对24个农场的重复评估以及107个视频序列来完成的。将观察者之间以及重复农场访问的结果进行比较。因此，通过计算斯皮尔曼等级相关系数（RS）直接比较毫米值，此外，对结果进行主成分分析（PCA）。结果确定了2个主要主成分（PC；PC1和PC2），它们共同解释了不同PCA记录变量中42%至75%的变异。通过分别计算观察者与农场访问之间的RS，比较形容词在PC1和PC2上达到的因子载荷。如果检测到至少中等程度的相关性，则认为可靠性是可接受的；也就是说，RS大于或等于0.4。关于农场评估，因此在实际条件下，未发现足够的观察者间可靠性（PC1的RS = -0.16，PC2的RS = 0.13）。就重测可靠性而言，2次农场访问的比较中只有1次显示PC1（RS = 0.79）以及PC2（RS = 0.64）呈正相关。其他5次比较呈现负相关至弱正相关。然而，基于视频序列，实现了良好的观察者间（PC1的RS = 0.67，PC2的RS = 0.60）和观察者内（PC1的RS = 0.94，PC2的RS = 0.44）可靠性。因此，本研究表明，目前生长猪福利质量评估协议中所包含形式的QBA基于视频序列具有良好的可靠性，但在农场应用时可靠性不足。
