Paper
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Cross-Cultural Validation: Use of Western Measures of Maternal Sensitivity and Attachment Security in Thailand
Nujjaree Nettip Chaimongkol, BS, MS, Maternal and Child Health Nursing, Burapha University, BangSaen, Chon Buri, Thailand and Louise H. Flick, DrPH, Maternal and Child Health, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: Indicate the importance of cross-cultural validation of concepts and instruments |
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss psychometric properties of the instruments applied with a different culture |
Maternal sensitivity to infant signals is believed to be the essential contributor to infant attachment. Most research suggests that the attachment figure’s sensitivity is critical for the establishment of a secure attachment, which provides a foundation for the child’s sociopersonality development. Few measures have been translated into Thai, limiting ability to validate the cross-cultural relevance of attachment theory. Objectives: To examine the psychometric properties of Thai versions of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (MBQS), Caldwell’s HOME, and Attachment Q-Sort (AQS). Design: A cross-sectional design was applied. Sample and Setting: The convenience sample included 110 mother-infant dyads from middle-class families in Thailand. Infants were 12-18 months old. Data were collected through observation and interview during 2-hour home visits in 2003. Methods: Following translation and back-translation, the Content Validity Index (CVI) was used to evaluate content and cultural acceptability of the instruments. Measures were tested for internal consistency, interobserver reliability, convergent and concurrent validity. Findings: CVIs of the Thai MBQS, HOME and AQS were between 91-99%. Internal consistency of the HOME was .71. Interobserver reliability of the MBQS, HOME, and AQS were .95, .87, and .87, respectively. Convergent validity was supported by finding a positive correlation between the MBQS and the HOME (r=.29, p<.001). A positive correlation of .45 (p<.001) between the scores of the MBQS and the AQS indicated concurrent validity of these scales. Conclusions: Study findings indicate the Thai MBQS, HOME, and AQS are reliable and valid in this Thai sample and suggest that the Thai versions reflect concepts similar to those in the original English versions. Implications: The validated Thai measures can be used to measure concepts of maternal sensitivity and infant attachment security in Thailand. The instruments can ultimately contribute to interventions to foster attachment between Thai mothers and their children.
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