Cultural Adaptation of Physical Activity Self-Report Instruments

Context: The validity of physical activity (PA) self-report measures can be a problem when using these measures with target populations that differ from the population for which the measures were originally developed. Objectives: Describe an approach to further tailor PA self-report measures to a target community, and report on focus group and cognitive interview findings. Process: Topics relevant to culturally tailoring measures are discussed, including translation, focus groups, and cognitive interviews. We describe examples from our own work, including focus groups and cognitive interviews conducted to assess Latinos' interpretations of PA questions derived from various epidemiological surveys that were developed in White communities. Findings: Findings from focus groups and cognitive interviews provide valuable information about the comprehension, interpretation, and cultural relevance of the PA questions to Latino communities. Conclusions: It is recommended that investigators collect formative data to better assess the equivalence of items being applied to a different cultural group. Guidelines for cultural attunement of self-report instruments are described to promote more uniform and rigorous processes of adaptation and facilitate cross-cultural investigations.