The purpose of this study was to adapt and validate a measure of HIV-related shame, the Shame Questionnaire (SQ), among Ugandan youth living with HIV. Culturally relevant, reliable and valid measurement is critical in the accurate assessment of HIV-related shame (a painful internalized emotion encompassing feelings that the self is damaged and defective) on psychosocial functioning, as well as the determination of the efficacy of interventions among youth living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We utilized qualitative (i.e., cognitive interviews; N = 31) and quantitative (i.e., classical test theory and item response theory; N = 150) methods to establish, content, criterion and construct validity of the SQ. Cognitive interviews resulted in the revision in the wording of 2 out of 8 SQ items. Participants who endorsed having shame had statistically significant higher SQ scores than participants who did not endorse having shame (p < 0.001), suggesting criterion validity. We found a statistically significant positive relationship between SQ scores and average trauma symptom scores among participants (p < 0.001), also suggesting criterion validity. Finally, we found construct validity with discrimination parameters of the graded response IRT model all in the high range with a wide range of difficulty parameters across the 8 items of the SQ. Overall our results suggest that the SQ is a contextually relevant, valid and reliable assessment tool among Ugandan youth living with HIV. Findings provide support for the utilization of qualitative and quantitative methods in the adaptation of measures for cross-cultural use in order to maintain validity and contextual relevance.
Keywords: Cognitive interviews; HIV-related shame; Item response theory; Sub-Saharan Africa; Youth.