Translation, cultural adaptation and preliminary psychometric evaluation of the “Family Management Measure” among Iranian families with a child with a chronic disease

BACKGROUND: The basis of any research is the use of valid and reliable tools for collecting information. One of the valid and reliable tools used to identify the family management in chronic childhood diseases is “FaMM” which has never been translated and validated in previous research in Iran. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to translate, incorporate cultural adaptation, and determine psychometric features of FaMM among Iranian families with a child with a chronic disease. METHODS: This study was conducted using the methodological research approach in Tehran, during 2016–2017. The translation of FaMM was done using “World Health Organization Translation and Cultural Adaptation Guidelines”. The preliminary psychometric evaluation of the above tool was performed by determining the validity (face and content validity) and reliability (internal consistency and stability). Data analysis was performed using IBM-SPSS 22. Content validity (CV) was first examined using qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative phase, experts’ opinions were received in order to observe grammar, wording, item allocation and scaling. Then, quantitative CV was examined using Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI; Scale-CVI/Avg, Scale-CVI/UA). In order to calculate the internal consistency of the items, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of statements was calculated. Test-retest method was used for determining the stability of the tool, and the obtained scores were compared using ICC. RESULTS: The Persian version of FaMM has conceptual, semantic, idiomatic and by-item equivalence, as well as a desirable preliminary validity and reliability for assessing the management of families with children with chronic disease. The results of CVR determination indicated that all questions were larger than Lawshe’s Table number (0.49). The CVI results showed that all questions had a score higher than 0.79, and therefore were recognized as appropriate. In the Scale-CVI/Avg, the score was 0.98 and in the Scale-CVI/UA, the score was 0.80. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the scales was obtained in the range of 0.55 to 0.87 and the ICC of scales ranged from 0.71 to 0.94. CONCLUSION: The translation and cultural adaptation process of FaMM led to the design of a tool adapted to Iranian culture which can be applied in this context, and after the implementation of the final psychometric evaluation process, comparing data on how families with a child with chronic disease are managed with other communities can be possible.