The Pacific Identity and Wellbeing Scale-Revised (PIWBS-R)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• The original Pacific Identity and Wellbeing Scale (PIWBS) measured key aspects of Pacific identity.
• Existing measures may not fully capture the nuances of cultural engagement and its impact on wellbeing.
• Research indicates a link between cultural identity and health outcomes in Pacific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a revised version of the PIWBS, incorporating a new subscale for Cultural Efficacy (CE).
• To assess the psychometric properties and predictive validity of the revised PIWBS-R.
• To explore the relationship between specific aspects of Pacific identity and health-related outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used with a large sample (N = 919) to validate the 6-factor PIWBS-R model.
• Validation analyses were conducted on a subset of the sample (Ns = 452-522) to examine criterion prediction.
• The study synthesized research on self-efficacy and Pacific cultural capital to define and develop items for the CE subscale.

Main Results:

• The CFA supported the revised 6-factor PIWBS-R model, confirming its structural validity.
• The Cultural Efficacy (CE) subscale uniquely predicted church attendance, travel to the Pacific Islands, heritage language confidence, and health satisfaction.
• Pacific Connectedness and Belonging, and Perceived Societal Wellbeing were associated with a lower likelihood of diabetes diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• The revised PIWBS-R is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing Pacific identity.
• The PIWBS-R, particularly the CE subscale, offers valuable insights into the protective functions of Pacific identity for health.
• Findings underscore the importance of cultural factors in understanding and promoting health and wellbeing within Pacific communities.