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Caring for women globally: psychometric testing of two instruments translated into five languages for use in
Lucia Gonzales1, Anne Koci, Rose Mary Gee
1University of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Insights
Social support from religiousness and marginality impacts women's recovery after cardiovascular events. Understanding these factors helps healthcare professionals provide better support for women's health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular disease research
- Social science and health
- Women's health outcomes
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in women globally.
- Women often face less favorable outcomes and treatment compared to men after acute cardiovascular events.
- Social support, including marginality and religiousness, influences physical and mental health post-cardiac crisis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reliability and validity of translated Koci Marginality Index and Duke University Religion Index.
- To evaluate these social support measures across diverse cultural groups of women.
Main Methods:
- Cross-cultural study involving 282 women (aged 35-92 years) from seven cultures.
- Utilized translated versions of the Koci Marginality Index and Duke University Religion Index.
- Statistical analysis to determine reliability (coefficient alpha) and validity.
Main Results:
- Reliability and validity of the translated indices were found to be strong.
- Coefficient alpha values of 0.79 for the Koci Marginality Index and 0.84 for the Duke University Religion Index.
- Demonstrated the robustness of these measures across different cultural contexts.
Conclusions:
- The Koci Marginality Index and Duke University Religion Index are reliable and valid tools for assessing social support in diverse women.
- Identifying a woman's social isolation and religious connections is crucial for healthcare professionals.
- This understanding aids in optimizing social support resources for women recovering from cardiovascular episodes.
Abstract:
Among women, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. After experiencing an acute cardiovascular event, a woman's physical health, the prevalence of morbidities, likelihood of being treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery, likelihood for referral for cardiac rehabilitation are less favourable than men. The social support resources of marginality and religiousness are associated with physical and mental health outcomes following cardiovascular crises. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the translated versions (Japanese, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Hispanic and Arabic) of the Koci Marginality Index and the Duke University Religion Index among 282 women (aged 35-92 years) representing seven cultures. Results showed that reliability and validity were strong (coefficient alpha of 0.79 and 0.84). Understanding a woman's social isolation and whether she has a connection to religious groups assists health-care professionals to identify a woman's social support resources during recovery following acute cardiovascular episodes.
