Translation of Well-being Assessment Instruments in African Contexts: A Mapping Review and Future Directions

Authors

  • JohnBosco Chukwuorji

    Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria;

    Center for Translation and Implementation Research (CTAIR), Enugu, 400001, Nigeria;

    C.S. Mott Department of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Flint, Michigan, 48502, USA
  • Oluchi Osondu

    Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jpr.v5i4.5907

Abstract

A fundamental requirement for proper measurement of well-being in diverse contexts is the appropriate translation of well-being measures into the languages spoken by the specific population. This paper aims to identify measures of well-being that have been translated into African languages up to the year 2019 and make suggestions for researchers who are faced with the challenge of translating well-being instruments into local languages. Online databases were searched to identify published studies reporting the translation of well-being instruments into African languages. Some researchers were further contacted and requested to provide relevant studies. A total of 352 publications were retrieved and 44 translated measures met the inclusion criteria. Findings showed that all the translated African language versions of existing measures were published between 2006 and 2019. Although the published translations were increasingly widespread, the distribution of available studies was uneven, with very low published translation activity in East and North Africa and a preponderance of publications on translated instruments in South Africa. The authors suggest deriving population norms for relevant translations; increasing funding and other resources for translation projects; developing cross-national collaborations on translations; and making the translated versions of well-being instruments more accessible for use by other researchers.

Keywords:

Adaptation, Africa, Psychometrics, Translation, Well-being, Quality of life

References

[1] Barry, M.M., 2013. Positive psychology interventions: Research evidence, practical utility, and future steps. Mental well-being international contributions to the study of positive mental health. Springer: Dordrecht. pp. 355-385.

[2] Cooke, P.J., Melchert, T.P., Connor, K., 2016. Measuring well-being: A review of instruments. The Counseling Psychologist. 44(5), 730-757.

[3] Vella-Brodrick, D.A., 2013. Promoting positive mental health and well-being: Practice and policy. Mental well-being international contributions to the study of positive mental health. Springer: Dordrecht. pp. 331-354.

[4] Schmidt, S., Bullinger, M., 2007. Cross-cultural quality of life assessment approaches and experiences from the healthcare field. Well-being in developing countries: From theory to research. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 219-241.

[5] Diener, E.D., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R.J., et al., 1985. The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment. 49(1), 71-75.

[6] Ryan, R.M., Deci, E.L., 2001. On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology. 52(1), 141-166.

[7] Ryff, C.D., 1989. Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 57(6), 1069. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

[8] Ryff, C.D., Keyes, C.L.M., 1995. The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 69(4), 719.

[9] Vella, S., Falzon, R., Azzopardi, A., 2019. Perspectives on well-being: A reader. Brill: Rotterdam.

[10] Edara, I.R., 2019. Exploring the relation between Karma, Qi, spirituality, and subjective well-being among people in Taiwan. Journal of Psychological Research. 1(2), 19-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jpr.v1i2.575

[11] Page-Reeves, J., 2022. Well-being as a multidimensional concept: Understanding connections among culture, community, and health. Lexington Books: Blue Ridge Summit.

[12] Ruggeri, K., Garcia-Garzon, E., Maguire, Á., et al., 2020. Well-being is more than happiness and life satisfaction: A multidimensional analysis of 21 countries. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 18(1), 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y

[13] Sarriera, J.C., Bedin, L.M., 2017. A multidimensional approach to well-being. Psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents in Latin America: Evidence-based interventions. Springer International Publishing: Berlin. pp. 3-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55601-7_1

[14] Forgeard, M.J., Jayawickreme, E., Kern, M.L., et al., 2011. Doing the right thing: Measuring wellbeing for public policy. International Journal of Well-being. 1(1), 79-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v1i1.15

[15] Khumalo, I.P., Temane, Q.M., Wissing, M.P., 2010. Development and initial validation of a General Psychological Well-being Scale (GPWS) in an African context. Journal of Psychology in Africa. 20(1), 13-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2010.10820338

[16] Felce, D., Perry, J., 1995. Quality of life: Its definition and measurement. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 16(1), 51-74.

[17] Karimi, M., Brazier, J., 2016. Health, health-related quality of life, and quality of life: What is the difference? Pharmacoeconomics. 34, 645-649. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-016-0389-9

[18] Cheung, F.M., van de Vijver, F.J., Leong, F.T., 2011. Toward a new approach to the study of personality in culture. American Psychologist. 66(7), 593. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022389

[19] Schutte, L., Wissing, M.P., 2017. Clarifying the factor structure of the mental health continuum short form in three languages: A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Society and Mental Health. 7(3), 142-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869317707793

[20] De Kock, F., Kanjee, A., Foxcroft, C., 2013. Cross-cultural test adaptation, translation and tests in multiple languages. Introduction to psychological assessment in the South African context. Oxford University Press: Cape Town, South Africa. pp. 83-106.

[21] Lijadi, A.A., 2023. Research on well-being: Measuring “good life”, shifting values, and cross-cultural applicability. Journal of Psychological Research. 5(1). 17-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jpr.v5i1.5506

[22] Cromhout, A., Schutte, L., Wissing, M.P., 2018. Validation of the basic psychological needs scale in a South African student group. South African Journal of Psychology. 48(4), 501-513.

[23] Kirmayer, L.J., Gomez-Carrillo, A., 2019. Culturally responsive clinical psychology and psychiatry: An ecosocial approach. Cultural clinical psychology and PTSD. Hogrefe: Göttingen, Germany. pp. 3-23.

[24] Narayan, M.C., 2017. Strategies for implementing the national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services in home health care. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 29(3), 168-175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822317696707

[25] Wissing, M.P., Temane, Q.M., 2013. The prevalence of levels of well-being revisited in an African context. Mental well-being international contributions to the study of positive mental health. Springer: Dordrecht. pp. 71-90.

[26] Literacy Rate by Country 2020 [Internet]. World Population Review; 2019 [cited 2020 Jan 24]. Available from: http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/literacy-rate-by-country/

[27] Literacy Rates Continue to Rise from One Generation to the Next [Internet]. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; 2017. Available from: http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs45-literacy-rates-continue-rise-generation-to-next-en-2017_0.pdf

[28] Borsa, J.C., Damásio, B.F., Bandeira, D.R., 2012. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of psychological instruments: Some considerations. Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto). 22, 423-432. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-43272253201314

[29] Guillemin, F., Bombardier, C., Beaton, D., 1993. Cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life measures: Literature review and proposed guidelines. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 46(12), 1417-1432.

[30] Hambleton, R.K., 2001. The next generation of the ITC test translation and adaptation guidelines. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 17(3), 164.

[31] Tanzer, N.K., 2005. Developing tests for use in multiple languages and cultures: A plea for simultaneous development. Adapting educational and psychological tests for cross-cultural assessment. Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ. pp. 235-264.

[32] Dorer, B., 2016. ESS Round 8 Translation Guidelines [Internet]. European Social Survey. Available from: https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/round8/methods/ESS8_translation_guidelines.pdf

[33] Hambleton, R.K., 1993. Translating achievement tests for use in cross-national studies. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 9(1), 57-68.

[34] Hambleton, R.K., 1994. Guidelines for adapting educational and psychological tests: A progress report. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 10(3), 229-244.

[35] Hambleton, R.K., Patsula, L., 1998. Adapting tests for use in multiple languages and cultures. Social Indicators Research. 45, 153-171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006941729637

[36] Hambleton, R.K., 2005. Issues, designs, and technical guidelines for adapting tests into multiple languages and cultures. Adapting educational and psychological tests for cross-cultural assessment. Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ. pp. 3-38.

[37] Harkness, J.A., 2003. Questionnaire translation. Cross-cultural survey methods. John Wiley and Sons: New York. pp. 35-56.

[38] Sireci, S.G., Yang, Y., Harter, J., et al., 2006. Evaluating guidelines for test adaptations: A methodological analysis of translation quality. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 37(5), 557-567. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022106290478

[39] Campbell, M.M., Young, C., 2016. A Xhosa language translation of the CORE-OM using South African university student samples. Transcultural Psychiatry. 53(5), 654-673.

[40] Danielsen, A.K., Pommergaard, H.C., Burcharth, J., et al., 2015. Translation of questionnaires measuring health related quality of life is not standardized: A literature based research study. Plos One. 10(5), e0127050. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127050

[41] Lindert, J., Bain, P.A., Kubzansky, L.D., et al., 2015. Well-being measurement and the WHO health policy Health 2010: Systematic review of measurement scales. The European Journal of Public Health. 25(4), 731-740.

[42] Linton, M.J., Dieppe, P., Medina-Lara, A., 2016. Review of 99 self-report measures for assessing well-being in adults: Exploring dimensions of well-being and developments over time. BMJ Open. 6(7), e010641. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010641

[43] Salsman, J.M., Lai, J.S., Hendrie, H.C., et al., 2014. Assessing psychological well-being: Self-report instruments for the NIH Toolbox. Quality of Life Research. 23, 205-215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0452-3

[44] A Review of Questionnaires Designed to Measure Mental Well-being [Internet] [cited 2019 Jan 1]. Available from: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/platform/wemwbs/research/validation/frances_taggart_research.pdf

[45] Casas, F., Rees, G., 2015. Measures of children’s subjective well-being: Analysis of the potential for cross-national comparisons. Child Indicators Research. 8, 49-69.

[46] Allen, M.S., Iliescu, D., Greiff, S., 2022. Single item measures in psychological science. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 38(1), 1-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000699

[47] Indoumou Peppe, C., Altintas, E., Ngoma Voumbi, E., et al., 2018. Personality, relationships with others and psychological well-being: A pilot study on the Gabonese older people. Journal of Happiness Studies. 19, 1965-1979. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9900-z

[48] Van Straten,W., Temane, Q. M., Wissing, M. P., et al., 2008. Validation of a community collective Efficacy Scale in an Africa context. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 18(2),237-243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2008.10820191

[49] Straten, W.V., 2008. Validation of a community collective efficacy scale in an African context. Journal of Psychology in Africa. 18, 237-243.

[50] Van Eeden, R., Mantsha, T.R., 2007. Theoretical and methodological considerations in the translation of the 16PF5 into an African language. South African Journal of Psychology. 37(1), 62-81.

[51] Akinpelu, A.O., Maruf, F.A., Adegoke, B.O., 2006. Validation of a Yoruba translation of the World Health Organization’s quality of life scale—short form among stroke survivors in Southwest Nigeria. African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences. 35(4), 417-424.

[52] Deng, L., Chan, W., 2017. Testing the difference between reliability coefficients alpha and omega. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 77(2), 185-203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164416658325

[53] Hayes, A.F., Coutts, J.J., 2020. Use omega rather than Cronbach’s alpha for estimating reliability. But…. Communication Methods and Measures. 14(1), 1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2020.1718629

[54] Fraenkel, J.R., Wallen, N.E., 1996. How to design and evaluate research. Mc. Fraw-Hill Inc.: New York.

[55] Tiliouine, H., Cummins, R.A., Davern, M., 2006. Measuring well-being in developing countries: The case of Algeria. Social Indicators Research. 75, 1-30.

[56] Aamir, S., Tallouzi, E.A., Pilotti, M.A., et al., 2017. The new general self-efficacy scale: A matter of language. Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary Education and Communication Technology. 3, 14-26.

[57] Chika Chukwuorji, J., Ekpedoho, E.A., Ifeagwazi, C.M., et al., 2019. Psychometric properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire-Hausa version among internally displaced persons in Nigeria. Transcultural Psychiatry. 56(1), 103-122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461518794218

[58] Steger, M.F., Samman, E., 2012. Assessing meaning in life on an international scale: Psychometric evidence for the meaning in life questionnaire-short form among Chilean households. International Journal of Well-being. 2(3), 182-195.

[59] Heggestad, E.D., Scheaf, D.J., Banks, G.C., et al., 2019. Scale adaptation in organizational science research: A review and best-practice recommendations. Journal of Management. 45(6), 2596-2627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206319850280

[60] Iani, L., Lauriola, M., Layous, K., et al., 2014. Happiness in Italy: Translation, factorial structure and norming of the subjective happiness scale in a large community sample. Social Indicators Research. 118, 953-967. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0468-7

[61] Challenges and Opportunities for Medical Education in Sub-Saharan Africa [Internet]. International Association of Medical Science Educators; 2017 [cited 2020 Feb 3]. Available from: https://cme.dmu.edu/content/challenges-and-opportunities-medical-education-sub-saharan-africa

[62] Adams, B.G., Van de Vijver, F.J., De Bruin, G.P., 2012. Identity in South Africa: Examining self-descriptions across ethnic groups. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 36(3), 377-388. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.11.008

[63] Zavala-Rojas, D., Saris, W.E., 2018. Measurement invariance in multilingual survey research: The role of the language of the questionnaire. Social Indicators Research. 140, 485-510. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1787-x

[64] Redko, C., Rogers, N., Bule, L., et al., 2015. Development and validation of the Somali WHOQOL-BREF among refugees living in the USA. Quality of Life Research. 24, 1503-1513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0877-3

[65] Schmidt, S., Bullinger, M., 2007. Cross-cultural quality of life assessment approaches and experiences from the healthcare field. Well-being in developing countries: From theory to research. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 219-241.

[66] Abubakar, A., Dimitrova, R., Adams, B., et al., 2013. Procedures for translating and evaluating equivalence of questionnaires for use in cross-cultural studies. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. 6(55), 79-87.

[67] Schutte, L., Wissing, M.P., Ellis, S.M., et al., 2016. Rasch analysis of the meaning in life questionnaire among adults from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 14, 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-016-0414-x

[68] Schutte, L., Negri, L., Delle Fave, A., et al., 2021. Rasch analysis of the satisfaction with life scale across countries: Findings from South Africa and Italy. Current Psychology. 40, 4908-4917. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00424-5

[69] Tiliouine, H., 2013. Children’s Subjective Well-being Findings from Surveys in Algeria [Internet]. Available from: https://isciweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Childrens-Subjective-Well-Being-Findings-from-Surveys-in-Algeria.pdf

[70] Tiliouine, H., 2013. Personal wellbeing index in Algeria. Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer: Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Downloads

How to Cite

Chukwuorji, J., & Osondu, O. (2023). Translation of Well-being Assessment Instruments in African Contexts: A Mapping Review and Future Directions. Journal of Psychological Research, 5(4), 15–35. https://doi.org/10.30564/jpr.v5i4.5907

Issue

Vol. 5 , Iss. 4 (October 2023)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2023 JohnBosco Chukwuorji, Oluchi Osondu

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC