The development of a cultural validity assessment tool for First Nations people

There is a paucity of quality appraisal tools specific to determine cultural validity. Cultural validity measures the appropriateness and applicability of a construct for a specific cultural group. It is often discussed in reference to determining if a construct developed in one cultural group is applicable, meaningful and equivalent in another cultural group. First Nations people conceptualise mental ill-health in vastly different ways than the biomedical models most used. Thus, research that does not consider cultural validity can have harmful effects. A specific tool to assess cultural validity in First Nations communities is required to address this significant gap in the literature.

The First Nations Cultural Validity Assessment Tool was developed to assess cultural validity in a meaningful way for First Nations people in Australia. The tool was designed by First Nations researchers with guidance from cultural and lived experience experts and pilot-tested by clinicians and researchers.

The First Nations Cultural Validity Assessment Tool includes 10 criteria within three overarching factors (Psychometric properties, Cultural Psychometric properties and Cultural competency of staff/ethics). The First Nations Cultural Validity Assessment Tool is scored from 0 to 15, with higher scores indicating greater cultural validity. Pilot testing demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability between scorers.

This is the first tool to assess the cultural validity of measurement tools from the perspective of First Nations frameworks. The First Nations Cultural Validity Assessment Tool prioritises First Nations research values using a methodological approach that is acceptable within both non-Indigenous and Indigenous research practices.