Learning Objective #1: State the strengths and weaknesses of the emic and etic approaches to instrument development | |||
Learning Objective #2: Describe each step in an instrument translation process |
Objectives:
American and Taiwanese nurses were concerned about the sedentary lifestyle of the elderly. Faculties agreed to collaboratively study this problem and seek interventions to motivate physical activity. First, instruments in Chinese were needed.
The objective for this study was to translate English instruments with known validity and reliability into Chinese; and establish initial reliability and validity them.
Concepts Studied:
Exercise Self Efficacy, and Exercise Benefits and Barriers.
Design:
An etic approach was used to establish cross-cultural equivalence of the Chinese translations using the model and procedures of Berry (1969) and Brisin (1986).
Sample:
Seventy bilingual Taiwanese completed the instruments in both languages.
Methods:
Procedures to establish: a) content equivalence, b) semantic equivalence, c) technical equivalence, d) criterion equivalence and e) conceptual equivalence occurred.
The following steps were taken: a) establishment of a bilingual group of experts, b) examination of the conceptual structure of the instruments, c) translation, d) blind back-translation, e) pilot study with bilingual subjects, and f) analysis of pilot data.
Content equivalence was tested by comparing the answers to the same question across languages. Item means, and standard deviations were compared. T tests to evaluate differences between means, and F tests to evaluate differences in variances were used. Coefficient Alpha was calculated for both language forms.
Findings
Initial content equivalence required extensive time and discussion to yield items measuring the same attribute of the concept.
Internal constancy reliability >.80 was obtained. A technical equivalence issue was found. The magnitude of the responses was often greater in Chinese than in English.(e.g. subjects “strongly agreed” with a statement in Chinese but only “agreed” with in English).
Conclusions
Instruments with initial validity and reliability were developed for future use in research.
Implications
Comparisons between Taiwanese elders over time, using these instruments are warranted. However, cross cultural comparisons are not appropriate.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003