Intercultural Adaptation Research Articles

Intercultural sensitivity as a mediator in the relationship between implicit intercultural identification and emotional disturbance-An exploratory study of international high school students.

Intercultural adaptation is always associated with emotional disturbances. Intercultural communication competence, as an important competence of intercultural adaptation, involves implicit intercultural identification and intercultural sensitivity. Competence in these areas promotes the process of intercultural adaptation. Little is known about the relationship between intercultural communication competence and emotional disturbances in new students attending international high schools. The intercultural adaptation process of this population requires attention because of the increasing number of high school students attending international schools, and the fact that most of these teenagers are immersed in intercultural contexts for the first time. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of emotional disturbance in new students in an international high school and confirm the relationship among implicit intercultural identification, intercultural sensitivity, and emotional disturbances. Study 1 was an investigation of the prevalence of emotional disturbance in 105 students in their 1st year at an international high school using the Self-rating Depression Scale and Self-rating Anxiety Scale. Of these students, 34 were invited to participate in Study 2 to further explore the relationship between intercultural sensitivity, implicit intercultural identification, and emotional disturbances using the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale and Single Category Implicit Association procedure. Study 1 indicated that 15.24% of students were affected by apparent depression and 10.48% had anxiety symptoms. Study 2 revealed that emotional disturbances significantly correlated with intercultural sensitivity (p < 0.01) and implicit intercultural identification (p < 0.01). The openness factor from intercultural sensitivity mediated the relationship between implicit intercultural identification and depression (ratio of indirect effect = 41.04%, p < 0.05) and anxiety symptoms (ratio of indirect effect = 34.65%, p < 0.05). The study revealed that a significant proportion of students in the 1st year of international high school are affected by emotional difficulties. However, intercultural communication competence is a protective factor. Enhancing the international communication competence of senior students in international high schools is important to mitigate mental health challenges.

STEAM technology as a method of adaptation of foreign students of A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University in the study of art

The successful process of intercultural adaptation, including during education, depends on effective interpersonal communication, which increases the level of language proficiency, motivation, and promotes interaction of students with representatives of foreign cultural communities. This article is devoted to the study of the specifics of the educational technology STEAM (Science, Technology, Reading + WRiting Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), which is a fairly new way of teaching university students. Special attention is paid to the problem of adaptation of foreign students to the new socio-cultural environment. The hypothesis is put forward that STEAM technology, through project activities, can help foreign students adapt to modern art courses in Russian universities. The article presents the results of the approbation of an adapted course on contemporary art for foreign students from China. The novelty of the research is connected with the identification of the problems that foreign students face when receiving art education at the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University, as well as the proposal of ways to overcome the identified difficulties. It is concluded that the use of STEAM training in the development of a course on the study of contemporary art allows foreign students from China to effectively adapt to the socio-cultural and educational environment of Russia. It is noted that STEAM technology contributes to the successful pedagogical activity of students who have received artistic training abroad.

A Study on Intercultural Adaptation of Chinese Intercultural Students

With the development of Chinas economy and education, the number of students choosing to study abroad for further education is growing rapidly. As a result, research on the intercultural adaptation of overseas students has received increasing attention from scholars in China. This study uses a combination of questionnaires and sample interviews to explore the factors that influence the intercultural adaptation of Chinese students and the patterns that Chinese students follow in the process of intercultural adaptation based on the Stress-Adaptation-Growth Dynamic Model and the U-Curve Model. The findings of this study show that, firstly, the internal factors affecting the intercultural adaptation process of Chinese students include age, gender, language level, length of stay in the host country and motivation, and the most significant external factor is the technological development of the home country. Secondly, the pattern followed by Chinese students in their intercultural adaptation process is basically consistent with the Stress-Adaptation-Growth Dynamic Model and the U-Curve Model.

"CORPORATE LANGUAGE IN ROMANIAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT"

The paper focuses on the corporate language used in the business environment in Romania. English exerts the strongest influence on the Romanian vocabulary, influence appreciated by some politicians and businesspersons as beneficial, but at the same time, blamed by many linguists and cultural personalities. Corporate language is not a negative phenomenon by definition. But it becomes negative when used in excess or for no reason. In some cases, linguistic clichés turn into automatic formulas that limit thin king, while in others their use is not necessary. Corporate language manifests as a reality today both in terms of economic and social context in which organization evolves and as a distinct activity field of the organization. To meet the requirements imposed once with the internationalization of economic relations, sound professional training and a good grasp of specialized knowledge are just as important as communication skills in foreign languages, intercultural adaptation being a natural consequence.

Translation, intercultural adaptation, and validation of the Slovak version of AOSpine patient reported outcome for spinal trauma tool.

The implementation of patient-reported outcome measurements has become a standard component of evaluating the effect of treatment. For spine injuries, an evaluation tool AOSpine Patient Reported Outcome for Spinal Trauma (AOSpine PROST) has been developed. The aim of this study was to translate, interculturally adapt and validate the Slovak version of AOSpine PROST. Based on methodologies we translated and culturally adapted the AOSpine PROST into Slovak. We then validated it on a representative sample of patients treated at a single level‑one trauma center in the Slovak Republic. Content validity was assessed by evaluating the number of inapplicable or missing questions. Internal consistency was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha and Corrected item-total correlations. 37 patients were included in the study. The questionnaire was understandable to patients. The mean T-score across questions and participants in the questionnaire was 79.6 with a narrow range of 70.4 to 97.3 for all questions, which is relatively high. The internal consistency of total score was excellent with Cronbach´s alpha of 0.92. Total correlation across questions revealed relatively good results ranging from 0.17 to 0.90. The results indicate that the Slovak version of AOSpine PROST is reliable and valid and can be used in practice (Tab. 2, Ref. 14). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: AOSpine PROST, patient reported outcome, spinal trauma, translation, intercultural adaptation.

Motivation of insurers’ staff in the health insurance sector in the turbulent times

Introduction. Medical insurance is successfully practiced abroad, and the majority of the European population uses healthcare services at the expense of insurance companies. However, the population of Ukraine is not used to such an insurance product, and therefore it is very difficult to prove the need for insurance medicine and its benefits. A particularly important factor in the promotion of health insurance services is the qualification level of staff and their possession of relevant healthcare competencies. Therefore, when forming the staff of insurance companies, due attention should be paid to the professional level of specialists and their ability to promote such an insurance product as health insurance. Currently, the insurance industry in Ukraine is facing a perfect storm, as numerous external factors converge in time to reach their culmination. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the constituent elements of the model of the system of motivation of insurance companies' personnel in the conditions of turbulence as a prerequisite for increasing the competitiveness of insurance companies and stimulating the development of health insurance. In the process of the research, the authors answer the following scientific questions: (1) what are the basic problem areas of organisational and financial nature of the development of health insurance in Ukraine? (2) is there a dynamics of change in the personnel of insurance companies in the context of turbulence in HR management? Method (methodology). At the beginning of the research, we used the method of systematisation and comparison of opinions of various analysts and scholars to identify the main problem areas of organisational and financial nature of the development of health insurance in Ukraine. Next, based on the method of comparison, the authors analyse the dynamics of personnel changes in the TOP-5 domestic insurance companies in terms of insurance premiums received and foreign insurance companies of similar insurance groups in the context of turbulence in personnel management, and also provide examples of changes in the activities of insurance companies' management in the context of military operations. As a result, by applying the methods of structural-logical analysis and analysis of strategic gaps, the constituent elements of the model of the system of motivation of personnel of insurance companies are substantiated. Results. The problematic areas of organisational and financial nature of the development of health insurance in Ukraine with possible measures to improve the situation are identified. The need for continuous improvement of the professional level of insurance companies' employees and understanding of the specifics of the healthcare industry is emphasised. The article reveals the essence of the conditions of turbulence in the activities of insurance companies, which are understood as climate change, pandemic conditions and war, which determine the peculiarities of staff motivation as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of insurance companies. The authors describe the constituent elements of the model of the insurance companies' staff motivation system in the context of turbulence, in particular, critical human resources, strategic human resources development, search for the best talents, individual preferences and career development planning, employee assistance programme, adaptive learning, development of employees' skills and potential, organisational leadership, and intercultural adaptation.

ПОЛИЭТНИЧЕСКАЯ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНАЯ СРЕДА ВУЗА КАК ФАКТОР МЕЖКУЛЬТУРНОЙ АДАПТАЦИИ СТУДЕНТОВ

The article contains a theoretical analysis of the concept of “multiethnic educational environment of the university” as a significant category in modern pedagogical science. Transformations in the global educational area, rise in the quota for teaching foreign students in Russian universities and increase in demand for Russian educational programs within the framework of education expanse become the main factors which determine the need for a comprehensive study of creating an effective multiethnic educational environment of the university. Such an environment is an important condition for the formation and functioning of the processes of multicultural education, relevant in the context of globalization. The article defines the key approaches to the study of the concept of a multiethnic educational environment, reveals the relationship of this concept with the terms "intercultural educational environment" and "multicultural educational environment". The multiethnic educational environment is considered in the article from several positions: as a condition for successful intercultural adaptation of foreign students in a Russian educational organization; as a set of specially organized conditions for ensuring multiethnic interaction of representatives of different nationalities and faiths in the educational process of higher education, as well as a factor of early prevention of interethnic conflicts in the conditions of current internationalization of higher education. In addition, the article describes the organizational structure of the multiethnic educational environment of the classical university, in which there are six interrelated components forming a system aimed at the formation of intercultural competence of the individual. In the structure of the multiethnic educational environment there are educational, formative, informational, methodological, material and technical components, as well as a component of psychological and pedagogical support of participants in the educational process.

Socio-cultural training for the development of intercultural adaptation of youth students

У статті розкрито особливості соціокультурного тренінгу розвитку міжкультурної адаптації студентської молоді. Показано, що міжкультурна адаптація є системною категорією, що впливає на розвиток особистості, успішність діяльності, збереження фізичного та психічного здоровʼя. Успішність міжкультурної адаптації визначається знанням відмінностей, що дозволяють ефективно взаємодіяти з новою етнічною групою та уникнути міжетнічної напруженості. Множинність та неоднозначна залежність факторів ризику міжкультурної дезадаптації визначає необхідність системного соціально-психологічного впливу на студентську молодь. Соціально-психологічний супровід студентської молоді, що передбачає системну та послідовну реалізацію корекційно-розвивальних заходів з урахуванням факторів міжкультурної адаптації, дозволяє значно зменшити вираженість їх міжкультурної дезадаптації. У соціокультурному тренінгу, задіяному у межах програми соціально-психологічного забезпечення міжкультурної адаптації студентської молоді, який мав на меті здійснення підготовки студентів до взаємодії з новою етнічною групою, за основу було взято набуття ними знань про культуру приймаючої країни, ознайомлення з відмінностями між власними культурними цінностями та поведінковими нормами і культурою приймаючого суспільства.Ефективна соціально-психологічна допомога можлива за умови її системної реалізації, з урахуванням специфіки ситуації, психологічної готовності студентської молоді до взаємодії з інокультурним середовищем, на основі правильного використання складної структури факторів ризику розвитку міжкультурної дезадаптації.

TURKISH VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF COVID-19 STRESS SCALES (CSS)

Objective: It is considered that evaluation of the stress level, in crisis situations, will provide a valuable source of the crisis intervention. The aim of the study was to test the Turkish validity and reliability of the COVID-19 Stress Scales.&#x0D; Method: This methodological study was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 with 841 nursing students and online. The data collection form included socio-demographical characteristics of the participants, COVID-19 Stress Scales, Perceived Stress Scale, Scale of Fear of COVID-19, and Scale of Coronavirus Phobia. Translations and intercultural adaptation process were used for the Turkish version of the COVID-19 Stress Scales. Content, construct and criterion validity analyzes were performed for the validity of the Scale. Internal consistency and intra-class correlation coefficients values were calculated for the reliability of the scale.&#x0D; Results: The mean age of the participants was 23.63±8.5. The Content Validity Index of the COVID-19 Stress Scales was calculated as 0.98. According to suggestions of the experts, the subscale of "xenophobia" was excluded from the scale. In Confirmatory Factor Analysis, fit indices were calculated at acceptable levels and good fits. The five factors were reported in the original study of the scale, was confirmed in the Turkish version. The Cronbach's α value was 0.94 for the scale total. Strong and positive correlations was found between the test and retest scores of the total scale (ICC=0.799; p=0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: COVID-19 Stress Scales with 30 items and five subscales was a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish society.

Development Trends of Intercultural Communication in Social Networks

The purpose of the study is to reveal the peculiarities and trends of the development of intercultural communications in the context of the specifics of the space of social networks at the current stage. Research methodology. The method of comparative analysis is applied (to consider the interaction of cultures in the traditional space and the space of social networks); analysis of open sources of information, which are information resources on the Internet (to identify the mechanisms of formation of cultural borders, as well as their overcoming). Scientific novelty. The specifics, forms, and functions of intercultural interaction in social networks have been studied; the nature and trends of the development of intercultural communications in social networks at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century have been revealed. Conclusions. Modern network communications (especially social networks) are a universal socio-cultural mechanism that arose as a result of the genesis and functioning of culture in interaction with social parameters, in which the use of information and communication technologies creates conditions for easy overcoming of cultural boundaries. Social networks, which are represented by web applications that allow people to interact with each other, provide an environment for sharing all types of content created by other media tools. They are an effective tool for the development of intercultural communication, as they provide a person with the opportunity not only to communicate freely, but also to discover intercultural values for yourself and easily adapt to them. Social media tools that cultivate cross-cultural communication are expanding and diversifying every day. In addition to the usual use of Facebook and other similar popular applications, many users communicate through microblogs and new applications. Because of the organic development of social networks, the concept of sustainable intercultural dialogue was formed: users get the opportunity to solve their own problems within the boundaries of another culture quite effectively, make friends faster, follow various events in a certain socio-cultural space, to be a part of cultural values, and to adapt.&#x0D; Key words: intercultural communication, social networks, applications, communication, intercultural dialogue, intercultural adaptation.

A Mobilidade Internacional Voluntária Vivida em Riso, Choro e Ressignificação: Experiências de Brasileiros Compartilhadas em Canais no Youtube

Abstract Voluntary international mobility requires greater responsibility, given that there is no structure and organizational support for the challenge of living in another country. The aim of this study is to analyze the intercultural adaptation process of Brazilian immigrants and self-initiated expatriates in “off-axis” countries (less sought after/without a structured community of Brazilians) based on their reports and interactions on YouTube channels. The study employs a qualitative approach, with narrative research of four individuals. The data were collected between March and May of 2021 according to the following categories: intercultural adaptation; types of adaptation; structure and functioning of the channel. We confirmed the applicability of the theories of intercultural adaptation to analyze voluntary mobility, but with the need to consider specific aspects, such as advance adjustment actions, the influence of the channels on the focus and effort to adapt to the general environment and interact with the locals, and the emergence of individual aspects and behaviors (such as flexibility to change and self-knowledge), which were shown to be relevant for the intercultural adaptation process in voluntary mobility. As a theoretical contribution, it is understood that to use the theories about intercultural adaptation with the aim of analyzing voluntary mobility it is necessary to consider some specific aspects of this type of mobility while still in the country of origin, the weight and importance of each adaptation environment for the voluntary expatriate’s objective, and how much that experience is shared and exposed on different media with their respective impact on choices and (re)creation of meanings.

Problems and Strategies: A Study of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Chinese Undergraduates in the Philippines

Investigating the intercultural adaptation of Chinese undergraduates in the Philippines provides an effective example of bridging the gap between theories of intercultural adaptation. A questionnaire and interviews were conducted to explore the problems and challenges faced by Chinese undergraduates in the Philippines, thereby providing some first-hand information for subsequent studies on cultural adaptation. Chinese undergraduates in the Philippines faced four main challenges, namely interpersonal communication, living environment, social services, and course study. As coping strategies, four suggestions are presented, including cultural integration, life experience, bridge building, and rational docking.

A study of intercultural adaptation in the Sino-American joint training dual degree programs

IntroductionThis study focuses on the factors influencing the intercultural adaptation stress and strategies of students in the Sino-American Joint Training Dual Degree Program.MethodsA total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed to Chinese students who participating in the Program and the 355 responded. Motivation and Expectation Scale, Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students and The Intercultural Adaptation Strategies Scale were adopted to measure variables. Regression test, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Structural Equation Model (SEM) were applied to analyze the survey data.ResultsThe results revealed that the number of local friends, the length of stay in the US, the motivation to study abroad, and the expectation to study abroad have a negative influence on the intercultural adaptation stress of the students. The greater the number of local friends, the longer the length of stay of study abroad, the stronger the motivation and expectation to study abroad, their intercultural adaptation strategies favor integration and assimilation.DiscussionBased on the findings, this study examines which teaching and learning management methods Chinese institutions should apply to help students reduce the negative effects of intercultural adaptation stress and to choose intercultural adaptation strategies for integration and assimilation when undertaking teaching and learning activities for the Sino-American Joint Training Dual Degree Program.

Turkish validity and reliability study of male genital self-image scale (MGSIS).

This study, which was carried out in order to determine the Turkish validity and reliability of the "Male Genital Self-Image Scale" in a population sample of Turkish men, is of methodological type. In the study, language, content, construct validity, and reliability methods were used for the intercultural adaptation of the scale. The data collection process of the scale was carried out with 336 men who applied to the Family Medicine Polyclinic of a hospital. In the language and content validity phase, the opinions of experts with technical and cultural knowledge were consulted. The data of the study were collected with the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form and the Male Genital Self-Image Scale. As a result of experts evaluation, the Content Validity Ratio value was determined as 0.83. At the stage of construct validity, the suitability of the single-factor model of the items of the Male Genital Self-Image Scale was tested. It was determined that all items contributed significantly to the factor (0.62-0.92). As a result of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the measurement model was statistically validated (χ2 = 32.083, p = 0.001, χ2/df = 2.917, RMSEA = 0.076). The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was calculated as α = 0.92 in the analysis performed to evaluate the internal consistency of Male Genital Self-Image Scale. The results of the study revealed that Male Genital Self-Image Scale is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate genital self-image in Turkish men.

We are stuck in the middle: intercultural adjustments and adaptations of Western-educated mainland PhD students at one Hong Kong university

ABSTRACT This paper examines the academic and sociocultural adjustment processes, challenges, and coping strategies of Chinese students who studied at top Western universities prior to relocating to Hong Kong for PhD study. Through purposeful sampling, 30 individuals from one elite university in Hong Kong, the majority of whom won prestigious scholarships, were invited to semi-structured interviews. Our findings suggest that Hong Kong’s geopolitical proximity to mainland China and generous scholarship packages, in addition to compatibility with supervisors and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the West, were major factors that motivated students to select Hong Kong. Academic challenges participants reportedly encounter include interpersonal hierarchies, output-oriented academic culture, and unsatisfactory teaching. The sociocultural challenges are predominantly the difficulty of learning and speaking Cantonese, Mandarin discrimination, and a divided campus. Three forms of response were identified: expectation management, need-based adjustments, and struggle and resistance. This study reveals that students set their Western experience as a benchmark against which they judge their education in Hong Kong. We confirm the role of supervisors as the gatekeepers of students’ intercultural adaptations and highlight the importance of an inclusive campus environment, which is focused on academic excellence alongside student wellbeing rather than prioritizing publications.

Italian Translation and Validation of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) in an Undergraduate Healthcare Student Context.

Interprofessional education requires that two or more professionals learn from and with each other to allow effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Thus far, the interprofessional collaboration of healthcare students might be assessed using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), which is currently not available in its Italian version. This study aimed to provide the intercultural adaptation of the RIPLS in Italian (I-RIPLS) and assess its validity and reliability. A two-phase validation study was performed in 2020, using a single-centre approach in students enrolled in the medical degree, physiotherapy, nursing, and dentistry courses at an Italian-speaking university in Albania. The first phase of the study determined the cross-cultural adaptation of the items by involving two translators who followed a forward and backward translation process. In the second phase, a sample of 414 students was enrolled. The preliminary corrected item-total correlations showed that five items did not show significant item-to-total correlations. Even if their deletion was not mandatory for generating a suitable correlation matrix for factor analysis, the advantages of keeping only items contributing to a more stable measurement with a shorter scale represented the rationale for removing items with non-significant item-to-total correlation from the correlation matrix before testing the dimensionality of the I-RIPLS with factor analysis. The answers from the first 50% of responders (n = 207) were used to determine the most plausible dimensionality of the I-RIPLS by employing an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the second 50% were used to cross-validate the most plausible dimensionality derived from EFA by employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models. The most plausible dimensionality from EFA, by acknowledging the interpretation of the scree plot, the eigenvalues greater than 1, a parallel analysis, and the previous theoretical dimensions of the tool had two factors with adequate internal consistency. The CFA confirmed the two-factor solutions and the internal consistency for each domain. The I-RIPLS has 14 items with adequate evidence of validity and reliability. Future research should revise the tool for pursuing cross-cultural multigroup measurement invariance.

Teacher Identity Construction of Non-Local English-Speaking EFL Teachers in the Intercultural Adaptation Process

Non-local English-speaking EFL teachers are increasingly employed in the outer or expanding circle of English-speaking countries, but little is known about how these non-local EFL teachers construct their language teacher identity while they go through the intercultural adaptation process. Employing the narrative analysis, this study analysed the data of the in-depth interviews with three non-local English-speaking EFL teachers in one Chinese university and explored their teacher identity construction in the process of intercultural adaptation. Three major types of intercultural challenges were identified in their cross-cultural work in Chinese tertiary education. It was also found that the non-local EFL teachers strategically shift their teacher identities and instrumentalize their non-local identity to adapt to their intercultural teaching work and to empower themselves professionally in the language classes. This study contributes to the understanding of identity making in the intercultural adaptation process and provides implications for the adaptive policymaking and training for non-local teachers.

Problems and countermeasures associated with intercultural adaptation in international education according to the communication action theory model.

Due to the development of the Chinese economy, the consolidation of national power worldwide, and the increasing frequency of economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries, the number of people from various countries who travel to China to engage in exchanges has increased significantly. Given the development of economic globalization, the acceleration of the process of educational internationalization represents a general trend in higher education development and a common requirement for universities. In addition to education, international students also experience cross-cultural adaptation, that is, behavioral adaptation or changes that occur in people in response to changes in their home country, whether in the form of external or internal cultural adaptation. For international students, the problem of cross-cultural adaptation not only hinders their learning progress but also affects their psychology and living conditions. This article explains the construction of Habermas’s theory of communication action. According to this theory, the purpose of communication is to coordinate the common actions of actors, and this coordination is achieved through mutual communication, which is mediated by language. The article also discusses the cross-cultural adaptation experienced by international students in Chinese universities and highlights the importance of developing educational services for international students in the context of international education. Studies have shown that female students exhibit slightly worse psychological adaptation than male students and female students have a slightly higher rate of depression rate than male students. An interpersonal study of 120 international students traveling to China found that most of these students (60%) were able to adapt in terms of their interpersonal relationships. To solve the problems associated with cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China, some countermeasures have been proposed, mainly including active participation in interpersonal communication, an enhanced understanding of the new culture, and the amplification of cultural identity.

Validity and reliability of Turkish transcultural adaptation of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility.

Amputee-specific, self-assessment mobility scales are essential to evaluate mobility in lower-limb amputees. To evaluate the validity and reliability of a Turkish translation and adaptation of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility. This is a validation study. Turkish translation of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M-T) from its original was performed following the rules of intercultural adaptation and translation methods. The PLUS-M-T and its 12-item short form were applied to '100 induviduals with limb loss twice in 3-day intervals. The structural validity analysis was determined by calculating the correlation with the Amputee Mobility Scale, which is a valid, reliable scale for assessing the functional level in amputees. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated to analyze the internal consistency. The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Spearman correlation coefficient (r) were calculated, and the test-retest reliability was determined. A positive, high correlation was found between the first application and its repetition of both PLUS-M-T (ICC = 0.85, r = 0.94, P < 0.001) and 12-item short form (ICC = 0.92, r = 0.93, P < 0.001). The internal consistency was high for both PLUS-M-T (Cronbach alpha = 0.94) and 12-item short form (Cronbach alpha = 0.91). A positive, high correlation was found between the scores obtained from the Amputee Mobility Scale and PLUS-M-T (r = 0.84, P < 0.001) and 12 question short form (r = 0.77, P < 0.001). Turkish translation of the PLUS-M questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for assessing the mobility of individuals who have undergone lower-extremity amputation using a prosthesis.

Validation of the fear of COVID-19 scale in a central Balkan country - Serbia.

Validation of the fear of introductionHigh levels of fear of COVID-19 may be associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as decreased resilience and life expectancy.ObjectiveThis study aimed to translate and confirm the Serbian version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale as well as to investigate its psychometric properties.MethodsThe translation and intercultural adaptation of the Fear of COVID-19 scale was performed by the leading standard of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research. When the distribution was normal, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. The reliability of the Serbian version of FCV-19S was tested by measuring the internal consistency through the value of Cronbach's alpha.ResultsThe original version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale was tested on a sample of 256 subjects with a mean age of 25.38 ± 12.47. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.864. We divided the scale by the split-half method (Spearman-Brown), and the value of the coefficient for the questionnaire as a whole was 0.882. Divergent criterion validity was tested through the non-parametric correlation between the scores of the Fear of COVID-19 scale and the Fear of Hospitalization scale. A score of the Fear of COVID-19 scale was calculated as the sum of each question for each of the respondents. Convergent criterion validity was tested through the non-parametric correlation between the scores of the Fear of COVID-19 scale and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire.ConclusionThe validated version of the scale in Serbia complements versions available in other cultures and other languages and facilitates global studies related to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.