Medicine JournalFeeds

The development of culturally-sensitive measures for research on ageing.

Ageing Soc. 2011 Jan 1;31(3):355-370

Authors: Ingersoll-Dayton B

Abstract

Attempts to import existing measures developed in other countries when constructing research instruments for use with older people can result in several problems including inappropriate wording, unsuitable response sets, and insufficient attention to cultural nuances. This paper addresses such problems by discussing a mixed methods approach to measurement development (i.e. both qualitative and quantitative) that incorporates input from the aging adults for whom the measure is intended. To test this approach, a step-by step process to the development of a culturally-grounded measure for older Thai people is described. Using focus groups and in-depth interviews, the process begins with an identification of the culturally meaningful domains of the construct under study. Next, input is gathered from other studies; a preliminary quantitative measure is developed; the measure is reviewed by a panel of experts; and then it is pilot-tested. Cognitive interviews are utilized when pilot-testing of the items detects problems with measurement construction or interview methods. When these problems are remedied, the measure is incorporated into a large-scale survey and tested for its psychometric qualities. In addition to providing a template for culturally-sensitive measurement development in gerontology, this paper also highlights issues that researchers should consider when attempting to develop measures and provides suggestions for how to address such issues.

PMID: 21666865 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The impact of informal care-giving networks on adult children’s care-giver burden.

Ageing Soc. 2011 Jan;31(1):34-51

Authors: Tolkacheva N, VAN Groenou MB, DE Boer A, VAN Tilburg T

Previous research on the care-giver burden experienced by adult children has typically focused on the adult child and parent dyad. This study uses information on multiple informal care-givers and examines how characteristics of the informal care-giving network affect the adult child’s care-giver burden. In 2007, 602 Dutch care-givers who were assisting their older parents reported on parental and personal characteristics, care activities, experienced burden and characteristics of other informal care-givers. A path model was applied to assess the relative impact of the informal care-giving network characteristics on the care-giver burden. An adult child experienced lower care-giver burden when the informal care-giving network size was larger, when more types of tasks were shared across the network, when care was shared for a longer period, and when the adult child had no disagreements with the other members of the network. Considering that the need for care of older parents is growing, being in an informal care-giving network will be of increasing benefit for adult children involved in long-term care. More care-givers will turn into managers of care, as they increasingly have to organise the sharing of care among informal helpers and cope with disagreements among the members of the network.

PMID: 21217811 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]