Bilingual Community Research Articles

The Effects of Teaching Undergraduate Freshmen Biology Courses in Spanish and English

This study examines the attitudes and experiences of bilingual learners across two instructional types, identifying how the language of instruction affects the context of learning, and how the experience of the learners differs. Participants included 269 predominantly Hispanic undergraduate students in a general biology course attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in a bilingual community along the US-Mexico border. A bilingual faculty member, who recognizes the sociocultural and contextual factors that affect student learning and adopts a teaching philosophy founded in Culturally Responsive Practices (CRP) and valuing students’ Funds of Knowledge taught the class. This study utilized a mixed method design including analyses of quantitative student learning outcomesa and qualitative data on students’ experiences in educational contexts. While all learners were enrolled in sections of the course in which the instructor used CRP, only half of the learners received instruction bilingually in Spanish and English, allowing a comparison of the effects of bilingual instruction. Analyses of student experiences and knowledge gained revealed significantly greater learning in the bilingual courses, compared to English monolingual sections taught by the same faculty member. Results suggest that the use of bilingual instructional approaches can lead to positive outcomes for bilingual undergraduate students. These findings can be used by educators and policy makers alike, with interest in promoting the academic and sociocultural development of bilingual undergraduate students.

Critical Translingual Perspectives on California Multilingual Education Policy

Policies restricting bilingual education have yielded to policy frameworks touting its benefits. This shift corresponds with evolving lines of debate, focusing now on how bilingual education can best support racialized bilingual learners. One element of this new debate is the perspective on language underlying curriculum in bilingual programs, with a focus on translanguaging– normalization of the language practices of bilingual communities and positing that bilinguals draw from a singular linguistic repertoire. This article examines initiatives undertaken in California between 2010 and 2019 using Critical Policy Analysis. The work highlights that while opportunities for translanguaging have arisen, tensions between heteroglossic perspectives and the impulses toward standardization and commodification of language undermine such possibilities, and that notable gaps remain between teacher preparation frameworks and intended pedagogical practice.

Humor in conversation among bilinguals

In this study, we analyse conversations recorded during ethnographic research in two bilingual communities on the island of Rhodes, Greece. We examine: (a) the bilingual in Greek and Turkish Muslim community of Rhodes (Georgalidou et al. 2010, 2013) and (b) the Greek-American/Canadian community of repatriated emigrant families of Rhodian origin (Kourtis-Kazoullis 2016). In particular, combining interactional and conversation analytic frameworks (Auer 1995; Gafaranga 2007), we examine contemporary approaches to bi-/multilingualism focusing on the pragmatics of humour in conversations among bilinguals. We scrutinise aspects of the overall and sequential organisation of talk as well as instances of humour produced by speakers of different ethnic origin, generation, and social groups. We focus on the construction of “otherness,” which reflects the dynamic interplay between the micro-level of conversational practices and the macro-level of discourse involving contrasting categorisations and identities pertaining to differently orientated ethnic and social groups. Based on the analysis, we will show a) how humorous targeting orients in-groups versus out-groups, and b) mediates the dynamic process of constructing the identity of speakers who, being members of minority linguistic communities, represent “otherness.”

Place of Kinyarwanda Language in Banks in Rwanda: A Case of Equity Bank Rwanda.

The study aimed to determine how languages cohabitate in the Equity Bank Rwanda bilingual community. The study focused on secondary and primary data collection and analysis. The data was collected from a small group of Equity Bank customers and service providers who represented other beneficiaries of banks operating in Rwanda. A simple random sampling technique was used to get the sample size. The researcher collected primary data using questionnaires. The results showed that ninety point three percent (90.3%) of Equity documents were written in English. Only Nine point seven percent (9.7%) of the Equity bank Rwanda official documents appear to be written in Kinyarwanda. French and Swahili seem to be out of use. Assessing the perception of the beneficiaries of Equity Bank Rwanda on the services provided in foreign languages, it was found that only 13.9% of Equity Bank Rwanda customers are happy with the services provided by this Bank in its preferred language (English), while 63.4% of them were dissatisfied with the fact that most services were in English. The study recommends that the bank should comply with the Law no 017/2021 of 03/03/2021 relating to financial service consumer protection stipulates, in Article 9, that a financial service consumer contract, a disclosure document or any other document to be issued to the financial service consumer as prescribed by this Law or regulation, must be written in one of Rwanda’s official languages as chosen by the financial service consumer. The government should follow up the implementation of the Law, in its articles 9 and 13. Kinyarwanda terminologies should create for banks to serve their customers in a language they are comfortable with.  Keywords: Kinyarwanda Language, Cohabitation of languages, bilingual community, Equity Bank, Rwanda

Improving Long-Term Adherence to Monitoring/Treatment in Underserved Asian Americans with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) through a Multicomponent Culturally Tailored Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Although Asian Americans make up 6% of the U.S. population, they account for 58% of Americans with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Yet, adherence to monitoring and antiviral treatment guidelines among Asian American CHB patients remains suboptimal. Methods: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention on adherence to CHB monitoring among Asian Americans with CHB. The intervention components included virtual patient education, patient navigation, and mobile health reminders delivered by bilingual community health educators. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare demographic characteristics and two CHB measures: CHB clinical follow-up and CHB laboratory monitoring by the time of the 12-month follow-up assessment. A generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) was fitted to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Results: The study sample consisted of 358 Chinese and Vietnamese Americans living with CHB, including 181 in the intervention group and 177 in the control group. The intervention group had a significantly higher rate of CHB clinical follow-up (86.2%) and CHB laboratory monitoring (79.0%) than did the control group (54.2% and 45.2%, respectively). Results of the GLMM showed significant intervention effects on CHB clinical follow-up (odds ratio = 7.35, 95% confidence interval = 4.06–13.33) and CHB laboratory monitoring (odds ratio = 6.60, 95% confidence interval = 3.77–11.56) at the 12-month follow-up assessment. Conclusion: The multicomponent intervention was effective in improving adherence to CHB monitoring among Asian Americans. Additional implementation research is needed to better understand and apply effective interventions to other underserved populations.

Examining the Delivery of a Tailored Chinese Mind-Body Exercise to Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Latino Individuals for Healthy Aging: Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

BackgroundOlder Latino individuals are disproportionally affected by various chronic conditions including impairments in physical and cognitive functions, which are essential for healthy aging and independent living.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of FITxOlder, a 12-week mind-body exercise program, in community-dwelling low-income, predominantly older Latino individuals, and assess its preliminary effects on health parameters relevant to healthy aging and independent living.MethodsThis 12-week, single-arm, stage 1B feasibility study had a pre- and poststudy design. A total of 13 older adults (mean age 76.4, SD 7.9 years; 11/13, 85% Latino) of a congregate meal program in a senior center were enrolled. FITxOlder was a tailored Chinese mind-body exercise program using Five Animal Frolics led by a bilingual community health worker (CHW) participating twice a week at the senior center and facilitated by mobile health technology for practice at home, with incrementally increasing goals moving from once a week to at least 3 times a week. The feasibility and acceptability of the study were examined using both quantitative and qualitative data. Healthy aging–related outcomes (eg, physical and cognitive function) were assessed using paired 2-tailed t tests. Qualitative interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe attendance rate for the 24 exercise sessions was high (22.7/24, 95%), ranging from 93% (1.8/2) to 97% (1.9/2) over the 12 weeks. Participants were compliant with the incremental weekly exercise goals, with 69.2% (9/13) and 75.0% (9/12) meeting the home and program goals in the last 4 weeks, respectively. Approximately 83% (10/12) to 92% (11/12) of the participants provided favorable feedback on survey questions regarding the study and program implementation, such as program content and support, delivery by the CHW, enjoyment and appeal of the Five Animal Frolics, study burden and incentives, and safety concerns. The qualitative interview data revealed that FITxOlder was well accepted; participants reported enjoyment and health benefits and the desire to continue to practice and share it with others. The 5-time sit-to-stand test (mean change at posttest assessment=−1.62; P<.001; Cohen d=0.97) and 12-Item Short Form Health Survey physical component scores (mean change at post intervention=5.71; P=.01; Cohen d=0.88) exhibited changes with large effect sizes from baseline to 12 weeks; the other parameters showed small or medium effect sizes.ConclusionsThe research findings indicated that the CHW-led and mobile health–facilitated Chinese qigong exercise program is feasible and acceptable among low-income Latino older adults. The trending health benefits of the 12-week FITxOlder program suggest it is promising to promote physical activity engagement in underserved older populations to improve health outcomes for healthy aging and independent living. Future research with larger samples and longer interventions is warranted to assess the health benefits and suitability of FITxOlder.

LANGUAGE EXPOSURE PREDICTS CHILDREN'S PHONETIC PATTERNING: EVIDENCE FROM LANGUAGE SHIFT.

Although understanding the role of the environment is central to language acquisition theory, rarely has this been studied for children's phonetic development, and receptive and expressive language experiences in the environment are not distinguished. This last distinction may be crucial for child speech production in particular, because production requires coordination of low-level speech-motor planning with high-level linguistic knowledge. In this study, the role of the environment is evaluated in a novel way-by studying phonetic development in a bilingual community undergoing rapid language shift. This sociolinguistic context provides a naturalistic gradient of the amount of children's exposure to two languages and the ratio of expressive to receptive experiences. A large-scale child language corpus encompassing over 500 hours of naturalistic South Bolivian Quechua and Spanish speech was efficiently annotated for children's and their caregivers' bilingual language use. These estimates were correlated with children's patterns in a series of speech production tasks. The role of the environment varied by outcome: children's expressive language experience best predicted their performance on a coarticulation-morphology measure, while their receptive experience predicted performance on a lower-level measure of vowel variability. Overall these bilingual exposure effects suggest a pathway for children's role in language change whereby language shift can result in different learning outcomes within a single speech community. Appropriate ways to model language exposure in development are discussed.

Bilingual care navigation and enhanced case management during COVID-19.

COVID-19 disparities exposed health inequity across socioeconomic status, with community members of color experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and death. Racial/ethnic differences were especially disparate in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas, a region in the United States that experienced high COVID-19 infection rates. To address these disparities and support families with COVID-19, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Community Clinic (a federally qualified health center) worked with the Arkansas Department of Health and community partners to develop systematic Care Navigation and Enhanced Case Management. During an initial screening process, contact tracers offered Care Navigation and Enhanced Case Management services to individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 within Washington and Benton counties. Bilingual community health navigators, social workers, and nurses began providing enhanced case management to households that accepted services. Between September 9, 2020 and June 19, 2021, 3,502 households representing ∼13,000 individuals were offered services, and 1,511 (43.1%) households requested/accepted services. Based on our experience, we provide four recommendations for practice: (a) provide contact tracing in community members' preferred language, (b) incorporate assessments into the contact tracing process to ensure community members have necessary resources for quarantine, (c) implement comprehensive care navigation and case management services for those who need additional support, and (d) integrate bilingual health navigators who are part of the target community into the process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Scoping the needs, roles and implementation of bilingual community navigators in general practice settings.

This research aimed to explore the needs, potential roles and implementation of Bilingual Community Navigators (BCNs) in providing navigation support for patients in general practice settings in Australia. A total of 19 participants (general practitioners, practice managers, practice nurses and receptionists) from five general practices in Sydney where most of the patients spoke a language other than English were interviewed about their views on needs, potential roles and implementation of BCNs in general practice settings. Data were collected between August 2019 and July 2020. The interview transcripts were inductively analysed for themes. Themes emerged across four broad categories: patients' barriers to access health and social care services; potential roles of BCNs; recruitment, training, and employment of BCNs and considerations and anticipated barriers to BCNs' role. Many barriers both at the patient and at the service provider levels in accessing healthcare and social care services were consistent with the Levesque et al. access framework including lack of understanding of the health system, language and cultural barriers, hesitancy to approach general practice and problems navigating services. Participants believed that BCNs would be able to help overcome these barriers through health education, support in booking appointments, arranging transport, providing language and cultural support and improving communication with the health services. Conditions for effective implementation of BCNs in practice included proper training of the navigators to ensure patient confidentiality and addressing organisational/system barriers such as lack of a funding mechanism, a clear role definition of BCNs and acceptance of BCNs by patients. BCNs potential role in facilitating access to appropriate care by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in general practice warrants further evaluation in the context of the Australian healthcare system.

Family language policy in Indigenous and bilingual communities: case studies of Nahuatl-speaking caregivers in Mexico

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the family language policy (FLP) of three families in a Nahuatl community in Mexico. It investigates the role of (i) parental experiences, beliefs, attitudes and expectations, (ii) child practices, and (iii) broader societal attitudes in shaping these policies. Drawing on survey and interview data, the study points to a tension between generally positive attitudes towards Nahuatl and reported language practices in the home. The three cases offer different perspectives on the complex interplay between language practices in the home and broader social, cultural and political processes. Shedding light on ongoing processes of language shift in this Nahuatl-speaking region, this study contributes data-based knowledge to the FLP literature in Indigenous communities.

Virtual, bilingual English-Spanish community nutrition and exercise classes: Barriers and opportunities

Objective: Regular exercise and healthy eating are important contributors to a person’s overall health and well-being. To enhance community health, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California medical students have been leading in-person nutrition, cooking and exercise classes for community members at the Los Angeles County Wellness Center. In September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students pivoted to teaching through a virtual platform. In this study, we evaluated community participants’ experiences attending virtual, bilingual nutrition, cooking and exercise classes; the efficacy of virtual classes in providing education; participants’ preference for virtual versus in-person classes; and potential advantages and disadvantages of the virtual versus in-person formats. Design: Cross-sectional study design. Setting: Following 22 virtual classes between September 2020 and April 2021, participants completed an online Qualtrics survey. Methods: Quantitative data were descriptively analysed within Qualtrics using the Sign test. Qualitative free response data were analysed by coding responses for common themes using an inductive approach. Results: There were 326 responses from 130 unique participants. Satisfaction was high for nutrition and exercise classes (99%), and 98% of participants reported they would make healthy nutrition and exercise behaviour changes. Participants preferred online classes compared to in-person classes ( p = .0008). Barriers to attending in-person classes included lack of childcare, transport issues and COVID-19 risk. Conclusion: Virtual classes were well-received and effective. Virtual classes circumvented some of the barriers to in-person class attendance, and many participants preferred virtual classes to in-person classes.

The TDS model and epistemic justice for bilingual learners

The object of research: Contemporary research suggests the use of an instructional language different from students’ home language as a major contributing factor to academic underachievement. This has also been the case in Gwanda South, Zimbabwe, where Sesotho speaking secondary school learners are taught through English only and have been underperforming. Analysts have suggested the use of a language different from their learners’ home language as the major cause of academic underachievement.&#x0D; Investigated problem: This study explores how concurrent use of multiple languages can enhance learning in a bilingual community. Results from national examinations show learners from Gwanda South perform comparatively lower than most districts in the country, resulting in calls for transformative pedagogy. This mixed methods study used a descriptive survey design that opted for face-to-face interviews and questionnaires to collect data from 120 secondary school learners, 20 parents, 20 teachers, 10 head teachers and 10 Teachers-in-Charge. Convenience sampling was used to identify participants.&#x0D; The main scientific results: Results from the study indicate participants’ willingness for pedagogies that acknowledge multiple languages. They also indicate an enhanced academic performance among students when the TDS model is used for pedagogical purposes. As a result, the article introduces a model that is being proposed and recommended for use in bilingual settings, called The Dual System (TDS) Model. The TDS Model has a number of variables that make it operate effectively and efficiently. Its basis is two languages in an environment and community with a keen interest in the successful use of those languages in the classroom. Both teacher and learner ought to be tuned to dual language use and to accept full roles for both languages in the classroom. Translanguaging then is a key element that defines academic activities. Bilingual education where Sesotho and English are key classroom languages is recommended for Gwanda South, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe.&#x0D; The area of practical use of the research results: The TDS Model has a number of variables that make it operate effectively and efficiently. Its basis is two languages in an environment and community with a keen interest in the successful use of those languages in the classroom. Both teacher and learner ought to be tuned to dual language use and to accept full roles for both languages in the classroom. Translanguaging then is a key element that defines academic activities. Bilingual education where Sesotho and English are key classroom languages is recommended for Gwanda South, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe

Kyoo, This Word Sounds Weird: A Case Study of a Cajun English Interjection

The interjection kyoo/kaw is used in the English and French of Cajun heritage speakers in Louisiana to express surprise and has not been previously documented. Anecdotally, Cajuns and non-Cajuns alike comment that it sounds “weird,” as if the word is “not English.” A survey confirms that the interjection is perceived as atypical sounding when compared to mainstream English words, even more so for the palatalized pronunciation variant (kyoo) than the nonpalatalized variant (kaw). The authors hypothesize that this perception could stem from acoustic characteristics of the interjection consistent with linguistic identity markers in Cajun speakers, attributable to Cajun French influence or to the Cajun English vernacular. Acoustic analyses show that the interjection-initial/k/is not unaspirated, its vowel is not nasalized, and it has spectral quality similar to/O/in mainstream English words. These results suggest the perception of anomalous sounds in this interjection may not be attributed to acoustic characteristics indicative of French influence. An alternative explanation to the acoustic-phonetic characteristics of kyoo/kaw lies in social representations of Cajun English in a historically bilingual and multidialectal community, where perceived oddness of a nonstandard linguistic expression can be easily attributed to the influence of another language.

Oscillatory brain responses to processing code-switches in the presence of others

Code-switching, i.e. the alternation between languages in a conversation, is a typical, yet socially-constrained practice in bilingual communities. For instance, code-switching is permissible only when other conversation partners are fluent in both languages. Studying code-switching provides insight in the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language control, and their modulation by linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Using time–frequency representations, we analyzed brain oscillation changes in EEG data recorded in a prior study (Kaan et al., 2020). In this study, Spanish-English bilinguals read sentences with and without switches in the presence of a bilingual or monolingual partner. Consistent with prior studies, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the lower beta band (15–18 Hz). In addition, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the upper gamma band (40–50 Hz), but only when a bilingual partner was present, suggesting the semantic/pragmatic processing of code-switches differs depending on who is present.

Emotion-Related Language Choice theory in the cross-fire: Evidence from Mexican-American bilinguals

Abstract The present study aims to determine the overall language choices that shape emotion-related language preference among bilingual communities. The author also seeks to answer the question of whether those choices are affected by norms or emotional spontaneity. Since the study yields only a slight preference for the second language, it may not necessarily lead to concluding any linguistic system to be more dominant than the other. Yet, the research proves not only that greater emotional weight of the situation results in a greater impact on the emotion-related language choice, but it also suggests that the main determiner of the language choice within bilinguals is not necessarily the different emotive power of both linguistic systems, but sociocultural norms.

0073 A Mexican Spanish Version of the Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist

Abstract Introduction The Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist (SDSCL-25) is a brief assessment of patient-reported symptoms that suggest risk for a wide range of sleep disorders. To ensure the validity of study subject responses, the SDSCL-25 was translated into Spanish by a bilingual research study team. It was then administered to study subjects in their preferred language. Methods Data were collected from a sample of N=100 individuals of Mexican Descent in Nogales, Arizona, US-Mexico border. The SDSCL-25 is a screening tool that assesses the presence of a wide range of symptoms for sleep disorders. To translate the measure into Spanish, the following procedure was followed: (1) a bilingual study team member performed an initial translation; (2) a bilingual community member edited the translation; (3) a certified medical translator edited the revision; (4) a focus group of N=5 bilingual community members made contextual edits; (5) a back-translation was performed; (6) an additional bilingual focus group examined the final version for compatibility; and (7) the medical translator certified the accuracy of the final version. T-tests examined differences between those who completed the measure in Spanish vs English. Results Of the N=100 survey respondents, N=42 completed the SDSCL-25 in Spanish. Those who took the measure in Spanish showed no differences in frequency of reports of delayed sleep phase (p=0.28), snoring (p=0.85), morning dry mouth (p=0.87), choking/gasping (p=0.09), uncomfortable sensations in legs (p=0.25), urge to move legs (p=0.09), cataplexy (p=0.09), sleep paralysis (p=0.12), sleepwalking (p=0.08), or bruxism (p=0.13). Respondents in Spanish reported lower frequency of insufficient sleep (p=0.01), variability in bedtime (p=0.02), difficulty falling asleep (p=0.002), difficulty staying asleep (p=0.01), early morning awakenings (p=0.02), daytime tiredness/fatigue (p=0.006), phase advance (p=0.0003), daytime sleepiness (p=0.03), loud snoring (0.002), breathing pauses (p=0.049), frequent awakenings (p=0.0007), hypnogogic/pompic hallucinations (p=0.003), nightmares (p=0.047), panic awakenings (p=0.01), and overall sleep disturbance (p=0.043). Conclusion The present study describes a Spanish translation of the SDSCL-25. For those that took the Spanish version, there were lower reported frequencies of insufficient sleep, variability in bedtime, insomnia symptoms, daytime sleepiness and tiredness/fatigue, phase advance, sleep apnea symptoms, frequent awakenings, hypnogogic/pompic hallucinations, nightmares, panic awakenings, and overall sleep disturbance. Support (If Any)

0072 A Mexican Spanish Version of the Insomnia Severity Index

Abstract Introduction Data were collected for the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). To ensure the validity of study subject responses, the ISI was translated into Mexican Spanish by a bilingual research study team, based on a previous Spanish translation. It was then administered to study subjects in their preferred language. Methods Data were collected from a sample of N=100 individuals of Mexican Descent in Nogales, Arizona, at the US-Mexico border. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) is a 7-item scale that quantifies the degree to which an individual experiences insomnia symptoms. A Spanish translation already exists, but this had not been previously localized to Mexican Spanish. To localize the measure, the following procedure was followed: (1) a bilingual community member edited the translation; (2) a certified medical translator edited the revised items; (3) a focus group of N=5 bilingual community members made contextual edits to the new measure; (4) a back-translation was performed; (5) an additional bilingual focus group examined the final version for compatibility; and (6) the medical translator certified the accuracy of the final version. As a result of this process, text edits to items 4 and 6 were made to accomplish the localization (the other items remained unchanged). T-tests examined differences between those who completed the measure in Mexican Spanish vs English. Results Of the N=100 survey respondents, N=42 completed the ISI in Spanish. Those who completed the ISI in Spanish reported significantly lower overall scores (8.2 vs 9.8, p=0.048). No significant differences were seen for individual items regarding early morning awakenings (p=0.13), satisfaction (p=0.71), interference with daily functioning (p=0.29), whether sleep problems are noticeable (p=0.06), and worry/distress about sleep (p=0.14). However, those completing the measure in Spanish reported lower scores on items regarding difficulty falling asleep (p=0.03) and staying asleep (p=0.001). Conclusion When adapting the ISI to a Spanish-speaking population at the US-Mexico border, modifications were made to the existing Spanish translation to improve linguistic and cultural appropriateness. Support (If Any)

0071 A Mexican Spanish Version of the Circadian Energy Scale

Abstract Introduction Circadian health is increasingly recognized for the contributions it makes to general health. Few instruments assessing circadian rhythms have been translated into Spanish, however. The present study describes a Spanish translation of the Circadian Energy Scale (CIRENS). The instrument was designed according to the language norms of those living along the US-Mexico border by a bilingual research team. The CIRENS was completed by both English and Spanish speaking border residents, in their preferred language. Methods Data were collected from a sample of N=100 individuals of Mexican descent living in Nogales, Arizona. CIRENS is a 2-item scale that assesses chronotype by examining overall energy level in the morning and evening. Translation of the instrument into Spanish was done according to the following process: (1) a bilingual study team member attempted an initial translation; (2) a bilingual community member edited the translation; (3) a certified medical translator edited the revision; (4) a focus group of N=5 bilingual community members made further contextual edits; (5) a back-translation was performed; (6) an additional bilingual focus group examined the final version for compatibility; and (7) the medical translator certified the accuracy of the final version. T-tests examined differences between those who completed the measure in Spanish vs English. Results Of the N=100 survey respondents, N=42 completed the CIRENS in Spanish. No significant differences were observed in overall chronotype determination between those who took the Spanish versus English version (p=0.22) of the instrument. As a continuous score, the respondents in Spanish demonstrated slightly more morningness (p=0.01). Per the individual items, no differences were seen for evening energy levels (p=0.22), but Spanish respondents reported slightly higher morning energy scores (2.76 vs 2.17, p=0.008). Conclusion The individuals that completed the CIRENS in Spanish reported higher morning energy scores but no significant differences in chronotype. Future studies can use the Spanish CIRENS to evaluate circadian factors across cultural/linguistic groups. Support (If Any)

0070 A Mexican Spanish Version of the Brief Index of Sleep Control

Abstract Introduction The Brief Index of Sleep Control (BRISC) is a 4-item assessment of the degree to which an individual perceives that they are in control of their sleep. Previous work shows that this measure may be useful for sleep health promotion efforts. The present study describes an attempt to develop a version of this measure in Spanish, particularly for individuals of Mexican descent. Methods Data were collected from a sample of N=100 individuals of Mexican Descent in Nogales, Arizona, located at the US-Mexico border. The BRISC is a 4-item scale that quantifies the degree to which an individual perceives that their sleep is under their control, assessing perceived control over time to bed, time out of bed, total sleep time, and sleep quality. To translate the measure into Spanish, the following procedure was followed: (1) a bilingual study team member performed an initial translation; (2) a bilingual community member edited the translation; (3) a certified medical translator edited the revision; (4) a focus group of N=5 bilingual community members made contextual edits; (5) a back-translation was performed; (6) an additional bilingual focus group examined the final version for compatibility; and (7) the medical translator certified the accuracy of the final version. T-tests examined differences between those who completed the measure in Mexican Spanish vs English. Results Of the N=100 survey respondents, N=42 completed the BRISC in Spanish. No significant differences were seen in overall scores between those who completed the measure in English or Spanish (p=0.69). In addition, no differences were seen for individual items regarding time to bed (p=0.30), wake time (p=0.77), total sleep time (p=0.58), or sleep quality (p=0.98). Conclusion Data collection instruments be linguistically and culturally appropriate to the study population. This version of the BRISC was adapted to Mexican Spanish for use in future studies. Support (If Any)

0066 A Mexican Spanish Version of the Assessment of Sleep Environment

Abstract Introduction Sleep research that has been previously completed with individuals of Mexican descent generally do not use instruments that have been translated in accordance with the language norms of the target community. In this study, the Assessment of Sleep Environment (ASE) was translated by a bilingual research study team. The ASE was then completed by English and Spanish speaking participants, in their preferred language. Methods Data were collected from a sample of N=100 individuals of Mexican descent in Nogales, Arizona, located at the US-Mexico border. The ASE is a 13-item scale that quantifies the degree to which an individual perceives that their physical environment interferes with their sleep quality. It includes items about heat, cold, noise, quiet, light, dark, smell, humidity, comfort of sleeping surface and bedding, and safety. To translate the measure into Spanish, the following procedure was followed: (1) a bilingual study team member performed an initial translation; (2) a bilingual community member edited the translation; (3) a certified medical translator edited the revision; (4) a focus group of N=5 bilingual community members made contextual edits; (5) a back-translation was performed; (6) an additional bilingual focus group examined the final version for compatibility; and (7) the medical translator certified the accuracy of the final version. T-tests examined differences between those who completed the measure in Spanish vs English. Results Of the N=100 survey respondents, N=42 completed the ASE in Spanish. No significant differences were seen in overall scores between those who completed the measure in English or Spanish (p=0.17). In addition, no differences were seen for individual items assessing light (p=0.19), dark (p=0.21), noise (p=0.73), quiet (p=0.15), heat (p=0.08), cold (p=0.96), pillows (p=0.93), firmness (p=0.98), other sleeping surface issues (p=0.08), or safety (p=0.28), but mean differences were seen for humid (0.04), smell (0.04), and softness (p=0.02), with respondents to the Spanish version reporting a lower degree of disturbance due to these factors. Conclusion There were no significant differences seen in overall scores between those that completed the English and Spanish versions. Future studies can use the Spanish version of the ASE when assessing this population. Support (If Any)