No abstract

ObjectivesAcculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys.MethodsQuestionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18–25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation.ResultsThe literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18–25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49–3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00–4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19–4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity.ConclusionsThis Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth.

This qualitative study investigated understandings of spousal violence among 17 South Asian men residing in Alberta, Canada using focus groups. Thematic analysis revealed men’s ignorance about sexual coercion as a form of abuse, although they had a solid understanding of physical and financial abuse. The men identified novel forms of emotional torture, as well as two types of transnational abuses that occur in their communities which have not emerged from previous studies: framing wives for false crimes across international borders and forced participation in family chain migration. Implications for violence prevention, assessment, intervention, and transnational law enforcement are discussed.

South Asian arranged marriage norms involve families identifying partners for their sons or daughters who are relatively equitable to their own children in age, socioeconomic status or caste, family background, and relationship history. This multiple case study investigated specific types of partner inequities or couple "mismatches" that have been implicated in cases of immigration fraud in international arranged marriages, where South Asian Canadians marry people from their home countries and are abandoned after foreign nationals obtain immigration rights. Interviews with 30 fraud victims and focus groups with 27 community insiders, including religious/community leaders, revealed three patterns related to immigration fraud: foreign partners "marrying up," "marrying down," or "marrying the unmarriageable" in their cultural worldviews. Implications for fraud prevention are discussed.

No abstract