Adapting a Measure of Purpose-in-Life for Mexican American research
Objective: The purpose of this poster is to describe the process of adapting a validated measure of purpose-in-life for cross-cultural research with Mexican Americans (MA) in the southern United States.
Design: Descriptive, comparative.
Population, Sample, Setting: After field testing on 25 MA and ten Anglo women and pilot testing on 45 MA women the sample for this study consisted of 40 MA and 40 Anglo women, age 20 and over who were receiving health care at a county health department in a southern state within the U.S.A.
Concept/Variables studied together: The adapted Purpose-in-Life test when used in this descriptive, comparison study determined there was no significant statistical difference in purpose-in-life scores between the MA and Anglo subjects.
Methods: No standardized procedures exist for adapting measures validated for other cultures; however, established techniques for back translation were used.
Findings: The Purpose-in-Life test as amended for this study, in its English version demonstrated a reliability coefficient of r = .86. The Spanish version revealed an r of .72.
Conclusions: The Purpose-in-Life test as minimally amended in English and translated in Spanish for use in this study demonstrated acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability.
Implications: Nurses and health care professionals can use the Purpose-in-Life test in the English or Spanish version for future studies to assess purpose-in-life in groups with similar reading level. The assessment of behaviors can serve as a guide for the development of culturally sensitive programs of health care. Additionally, the availability of valid and reliable cross-cultural measures can make comparisons of diverse groups feasible, leading to broader cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003