O'Shea Nisha Gottfredson
RTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Dr., RTP, NC, 27709, USA.
Prev Sci. 2025 Feb 20. doi: 10.1007/s11121-025-01792-0.
This commentary explores challenges and innovations in prevention science that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on measurement issues and the contextual influences on data collection and intervention delivery. The pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to remote data collection and virtual interventions, many of which proved effective and scalable, as demonstrated by studies in this special issue. Innovations such as remote observational assessments improved reliability, reduced costs, and increased accessibility. However, the pandemic also revealed how contextual factors influence measurement properties for key constructs, with examples from this issue showing shifts in scale dimensionality and item functioning over time. These findings underscore the importance of considering context when designing and interpreting quantitative measures. I argue that by embracing heterogeneity in exposures and outcomes, prevention researchers can improve the precision and relevance of their work.
本评论探讨了新冠疫情期间预防科学中出现的挑战与创新，重点关注测量问题以及对数据收集和干预实施的背景影响。疫情使得迅速转向远程数据收集和虚拟干预成为必要，正如本期特刊中的研究所表明的，其中许多方法被证明是有效且可扩展的。诸如远程观察评估等创新提高了可靠性、降低了成本并增加了可及性。然而，疫情也揭示了背景因素如何影响关键构念的测量属性，本期中的例子表明量表维度和项目功能会随时间发生变化。这些发现强调了在设计和解释定量测量时考虑背景的重要性。我认为，通过接受暴露和结果中的异质性，预防研究人员可以提高其工作的精准度和相关性。
