Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Instruments Measuring Children’s Movement Behaviors and Parenting Practices in Brazilian Families

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a global problem, disproportionately affecting children in low-to-middle income countries (LMIC). Despite this evidence, no previous study has adapted instruments measuring children’s movement behaviors and associated parenting practices for use in LMIC families. This study reports the results of a cross-cultural adaptation of previously validated measures of children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices in economically disadvantaged Brazilian families. Study 1 involved translation of the instruments from English to Portuguese. A team of translators (fluent in both English and Portuguese) and researchers followed established procedures for translating measurement scales, identifying problematic items, and reaching consensus on discrepancies. Study 2 involved cognitive interviews with 24 parents from urban and rural North-eastern Brazil addressing the format, content, and clarity of the items. Half the parents provided feedback on the first 33 items of the questionnaire, with the remaining parents providing feedback on the final 29 items. Notes were recorded during the interview and parents’ feedback summarized in a report. In the translation and back-translation, 15 discrepancies were identified. These were mostly due to multiple Portuguese words having the same meaning in English. The research team discussed these discrepancies and consensus was reached to ensure that the concepts depicted in the Portuguese version were consistent with the English version. In the cognitive interviews, parents identified minor problems with item comprehension resulting in minor adaptations to response options, recall period, and format of the questionnaire. The process of translation and cognitive interviews conducted in Brazilian families resulted in an appropriate cultural adaptation of scales measuring children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices. Future studies should evaluate the validity and reliability of the measures in LMIC families.