Completing Self-Administered Questionnaires: Hmong Older Adults and Their Family Helpers

Area of Science:

• Health research methodology
• Cross-cultural data collection
• Gerontology

Background:

• Collecting health data from non-literate, non-English speaking populations presents unique challenges.
• Existing methods may not adequately capture the needs of diverse and vulnerable groups.
• The use of technology with human assistance requires careful design and evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) instrument designed for non-literate populations.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of helper assistance in data collection with older Hmong adults.
• To identify common challenges and successful strategies in this specific data collection context.

Main Methods:

• Developed an ACASI instrument with color-labeled response categories, requiring helper assistance.
• Recruited 30 dyads of non-literate older Hmong respondents and family helpers.
• Analyzed video recordings of interviews to document respondent problems and helper strategies.

Main Results:

• Seven dyads (23%) consistently followed the question-answer sequence; 23 dyads (77%) deviated.
• Respondents' difficulties were indicated by reports and pauses.
• Helpers commonly employed paraphrasing and providing examples to facilitate responses.

Conclusions:

• The ACASI instrument with helper assistance shows potential for data collection in non-literate populations.
• Helper strategies like paraphrasing are crucial for overcoming communication barriers.
• Further research is needed to assess the impact of these strategies on data quality.