Maria L. Alcaide

Development and Psychometric Testing of a Scale Evaluating Traditional Health Practices for Cervical Cancer Prevention Among Haitian Migrant Women

ABSTRACT Objective Haitian migrant women experience disproportionate rates of cervical cancer. Cultural worldviews have been implicated as a factor influencing cervical cancer behaviors. However, no validated or reliable scale has been developed to measure the influence of cultural worldviews on cervical cancer risk and behaviors in this community. Methods We detail the original development and psychometric testing of the Traditional Health Practices for Cervical Cancer Prevention Scale (THP‐CCP). A total of N  = 151 Haitian women who recently migrated to the U.S. participated in the study. Scale items were newly developed based on qualitative interviews conducted by our team. Items were administered to participants, and the scale's construct validity, reliability, and concurrent validity were evaluated. We hypothesized that the scale would be associated with women's education levels and superstitious beliefs toward cancer, which we tested with an ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Results A total of 30 items were developed in Haitian Creole and were evaluated by an expert panel of reviewers. Factor analysis yielded a one‐factor solution consisting of 11‐items interpreted as traditional health practices and cultural beliefs influencing cervical cancer risk and behaviors. The total scale Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.79. The THP‐CCP scores demonstrated concurrent validity with women's education level ( F  = 3.56, p  = 0.031) and superstitious beliefs toward cancer ( r  = 0.26, p value = 0.001). Conclusion The THP‐CCP scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties and can assist researchers in better understanding cultural influences toward engagement in cervical cancer prevention behaviors among Haitian women.