The Development and Psychometric Testing of the Scale of Cultural Sensitivity of Health Care Professionals in Japan.

Abstract

The development of cultural sensitivity is essential for health care professionals but there are few tools to measure this quality in Japan. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale of cultural sensitivity for Japanese health care professionals and examine its reliability and validity. A draft scale was created through conceptual analysis and a questionnaire was completed by 515 health care professionals and 1,322 college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine suitable scale items and examine model fitness. The four-factor 18-item scale showed acceptable model fitness. Cronbach's α coefficient exceeded .90 and correlation coefficients for criterion-related validity were over .29. Construct validity was confirmed by the significantly higher score of the cross-culturally experienced groups. The intraclass correlation coefficient was .642 (professionals) and .722 (students). This reliable and valid scale for Japanese health professionals and college students may be used to evaluate training programs to increase their cultural sensitivity.