The Culture is Prevention Project: Adapting the Cultural Connectedness Scale for Multi-Tribal Communities

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research
• Indigenous health and wellness
• Cultural adaptation of assessment tools

Background:

• Urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities face challenges in evaluating culture-based wellness programs.
• Existing funding often prioritizes illness reduction over health and well-being improvement.
• There is a need for Indigenous-led methods to assess the impact of AI/AN cultural practices on health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Canadian Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS) for use in California's diverse urban AI/AN populations.
• To develop a culturally relevant instrument for measuring the positive health outcomes of AI/AN wellness programs.
• To demonstrate the link between AI/AN culture and health through a validated assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• Phase 3 of the Culture is Prevention Project involved adapting the 29-item Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS).
• Community-based participatory research methods were employed with urban AI/AN health organizations in northern California.
• The scale was adapted through a collaborative process involving urban AI/AN community members.

Main Results:

• The adapted scale, named the Cultural Connectivity Scale - California (CCS-CA), was successfully developed.
• The CCS-CA is an Indigenous-developed and community-endorsed instrument.
• The scale is designed for urban AI/AN people by urban AI/AN people.

Conclusions:

• The CCS-CA provides a culturally appropriate tool for measuring AI/AN wellness and cultural connectedness.
• This instrument addresses the need for strength-based outcome measures in AI/AN health initiatives.
• The findings support the adaptation of assessment tools for Indigenous communities to reflect their unique cultural contexts and health priorities.