Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance of a Measure of Disability for White, Black, Hispanic and Asian Older Adults

Keith T Chan; Carl Algood; Andreana Prifti; Tarek Zidan

doi:10.3390/ijerph18041401

Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance of a Measure of Disability for White, Black, Hispanic and Asian Older Adults

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 3;18(4):1401. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041401.

Authors

Keith T Chan¹, Carl Algood², Andreana Prifti³, Tarek Zidan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, The City University of New York, 2180 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10035, USA.
² School of Social Work, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
³ College of Arts & Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
⁴ School of Social Work, Indiana University in South Bend, South Bend, IN 46634, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to determine the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the Washington Group General Measure of Disability for older adults.

Materials and methods: This study used the 2012 California Health Interview Survey. The sample included 14,115 non-Hispanic White, Black, Hispanic and Asian adults aged 65 and older. Analysis was conducted using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), parallel and Tau-equivalent tests.

Results: The results indicated that the measure was valid for use with older adults (Satorra Bentler χ² = 13.27, df = 3, p = 0.005, GFI = 0.996). Multi-group CFA indicated comparisons were valid between Whites with Blacks, and Hispanics with Asians. Cognitive disability was associated with independent living disability for Whites and Blacks, and with sensory disability for Hispanics and Asians.

Conclusions: Findings indicated the measure is valid for cross-cultural comparison for certain racial/ethnic groups. Further research is needed to understand differences in associations of cognitive decline with other areas of disability for older adults.

Keywords: disability; ethnicity; measurement; older adults; race.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Aged
Asian People
Black or African American*
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino
Humans
Washington
White People

Grants and funding

P30-AG0059304/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States