A Multi-School Validation of a Revised Scale for Assessing Cultural Competence in Pharmacy Students

Objective. To revise the Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence (SAPLCC) instrument and validate it within a national sample of pharmacy students. Methods. A cross-sectional study design using a convenience sample of pharmacy schools across the country was used for this study. The target population was Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students enrolled in the participating pharmacy programs. Data were collected using the SAPLCC. Exploratory factor analysis with principal components extraction and varimax rotation was used to identify the factor structure of the SAPLCC instrument. Results. Eight hundred seventy-five students from eight schools of pharmacy completed the survey. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the selection of 14 factors that explained 76.6% of the total variance and the grouping of 75 of the 86-items in the SAPLCC into six domains: knowledge (16 items), skills (11 items), attitude (15 items), encounters (11 items), abilities (13 items), and awareness (9 items). Using a more diverse, representative sample of pharmacy students resulted in important revisions to the constructs of the SAPLCC and allowed the identification of a new factor: social determinants of health. Conclusion. The 75-item SAPLCC is a reliable instrument covering a full range of domains that can be used to measure pharmacy students' perceived level of cultural competence at baseline and upon completion of the pharmacy program.