Adapting instruments for caregiver research in elderly Japanese American women

This paper discusses instrumentation issues which influence the assessment of information in elderly women of Japanese descent who are caregivers to persons with dementia. Twelve instruments developed and tested in US mainland populations were adapted for 195 elderly Japanese Americans in Hawaii to assess caregiver burden and quality of life. Data from interviews focused on semantic, content, technical, criterion and conceptual equivalence. Potential approaches to adapt instruments for diverse cultures are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).