Bilingual Validation of the Family Responsibility Scale

Abstract

In the context of the HIV pandemic, infected persons in the United States are increasingly poor women of color, many of whom are single parent heads of household with responsibilities for caring for another ill family member. A significant proportion of such persons are recent immigrants, and many do not speak English as a primary language. Responding to the lack of cross-cultural instruments suitable for assessment and research in such populations, the present study describes the bilingual (Spanish and English) validation of the Family Responsibility Scale. Based on a sample of 161 persons receiving HIV-related service in family agencies in two major urban centers, the findings support a unidimensional rapid assessment instrument with substantial equivalence across language groups. Results indicate very good reliability, and evidence of strong content, factorial, and construct validity. Implications for bilingual validation and applications in health and social service settings are discussed.